


KIWI KIWI KIWI

by Rearviewdreamer



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Family Vibes, Famous Harry, Gucci suits, Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Kid Fic, M/M, POV switch, a gaping absence of actual kiwis, also actual kiwis, cake mountains, dad louis, famous/non-famous, kids as wingmen, kiwi music video au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-06 17:25:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12822420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rearviewdreamer/pseuds/Rearviewdreamer
Summary: When Louis' daughter took up acting as a hobby two years ago he figured he'd be just like every other parent of a young aspiring star; helping her memorize lines between homework and dinner (hopefully unburnt), transporting her to and from school play rehearsals (hopefully on time), and then sitting front row and center on opening night wearing a big supportive smile. But that was before she was cast in a music video for Harry Styles in a one to a million shot, and before Louis began falling for way more than just his music.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [KIWI KIWI KIWI](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13117077) by [stylezluuving](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylezluuving/pseuds/stylezluuving)



> Just FYI I had so much fun writing this at the moment and I'd like to thank the wonderful Kiwi_Fanson for the prompt:
> 
>  
> 
> 'Someone should write a fic where Louis has a daughter and she's in Harry's Kiwi video and she keeps asking Harry if he's single because she thinks he would be perfect for her dad and then one day Louis comes to pick her up from set and sparks fly.'
> 
>  
> 
> Here's hoping I do it justice! <3
> 
>  
> 
> Also, thank you, thank you, thank you to Fallingliekthis for being the absolute best!

“ _Shit, that’s hot_!” Louis hisses and instantly regrets saying aloud when he remembers the phone haphazardly tucked between his ear and his shoulder. “ _Fuck, fuck, fuck_.” He sucks at the pads of his fingers after he snatches them away from the pan he should’ve removed from the hob with a fucking pot holder.

“Er- No, Mrs. Richardson, not you! Um, I didn’t say anything. Ignore me. Please continue. Sorry,” he tacks on as he goes for the frying pan full of chicken again, this time with something protecting his hand _besides_ just skin. “Y-Yes, Mrs. Richardson, of course. I’ll go in tomorrow to make sure everything is taken care of. I’ll handle it myself,” Louis promises his boss even though tomorrow is Saturday and was supposed to be his day off.

Even as Louis boasts such a promise he begins coming up with an apology as well as a thank you gift for whomever he’ll need to bribe to watch Oliva.

“Yes, I will have someone escort your guests from the airport as well. Oh. Um, _I_ will personally escort your guests from the airport as well,” he amends just as hot water crackles and sizzles to his left, his pot of fettuccini boiling over and filling the kitchen with steam, which is definitely _not_ a part of the recipe instructions. “You’re very, very welcome, Mrs. Richardson. It’s my pleasure. You have nothing at all to worry about. You’re officially worry-free. See you bright and early tomorrow morning! Bye!”

He didn’t mean to cut off her extensive thank you slash appreciation speech about how he is the only one on whom she can truly rely, but at this point it was either hurrying his boss off the phone or surrendering his kitchen to flames, and although he needs both things in his life, he’s got a very hungry eight-year-old in the living room who would probably enjoy eating dinner sometime this century.

The stovetop stops smoking once he removes the noodles from the heat. He tries one that’s floating at the surface getting partially uncooked noodle particles stuck between his teeth so he tries boiling them again, but at a much lower setting. Now, the pepper chicken he was just browning – _burning_ – is another story entirely as it appears to be _too_ done. It’s edible though so he scrapes it into a bowl, scoops the rest of the raw chicken slices over into the pan, and begins working on the pasta’s sauce.

His phone rings again just as he realizes he doesn’t know what the hell a shallot even is so he knows there aren’t any in this kitchen. Thankfully, it’s Liam calling this time and not Mrs. Richardson with some other miscellaneous task she doesn’t trust any of her other employees to do.

“What the hell is a shallot?” is Louis’ first and only question.

“It’s a type of onion, and hello to you too,” his best friend answers.

“Hi. An onion? Seriously? Then why don’t they just say that?” he sighs, moving to grab one from the fridge just as a familiar call of ‘ _Daddy?_ ’ rings out from the living room.

“Yeah, love? What is it?” Louis calls back over the murmur of Liam going on about something in his ear and the sound of food sizzling away behind him followed by a, “No, Li, not you,” and a “ _Yes_ , Li, I’m listening.”

His daughter says something else, but it’s lost in the chaos. She must know that Louis didn’t hear her because she pops her head into the kitchen not even ten seconds later with his laptop in tow.

“Daddy? Can I have a parents’ permission to enter for a chance to win a contest? Please?” she bats her long eyelashes.

“Er- Maybe,” he answers carefully. “ _No, Li, not you. Hold on a second_ ,” he says, putting the phone down to face Olivia properly. “What’s it for?”

“A casting all-call for kids,” she reveals with those big brown eyes of hers practically begging him already. “Aaand, if you say I can enter then I just have to submit a two-minute audition video and I might get picked!”

This whole acting thing she has recently gotten into has been pretty fun for her ever since she got the lead in the spring play at school two years in a row, as well as two other important roles in their community theatre’s small productions of _Mary Poppins_ and _A Christmas Carol_. This contest thing will be a long-shot. She’s never tried for something on this scale where there could be hundreds or even thousands of other kids auditioning, but she seems to really want to do it. If she isn’t chosen it’ll be a learning experience, and if she is she’ll get to have fun doing something she loves.

For now, Louis’ just grateful that she’s so preoccupied with this contest thing that she hasn’t noticed dinner still isn’t ready.

“ _Please, please, please_ ,” she chants, her face scrunched up in hopeful anticipation of the _yes_ she can probably feel coming from the stubborn grin tugging at Louis’ lips.

“You have a parents’ permission. Let me know if you need help,” Louis surrenders, fondly rolling his eyes when his daughter springs off her toes into the air _with_ his computer in hand.

“YES!!” she exclaims completely drowning out his warning for her to be careful with it, beaming from ear to ear when she quickly runs over to hug him. “Thank you so much! And also, something’s burning,” she points out before relinquishing her grip to skip back into the living room.

“Wait, what? _Shit_.” Louis narrowly escapes scorching his fingers again when he lunges for the over-cooked chicken but remembers to grab the pot holder at the last second. His quick save doesn’t really help his fettuccini noodles which have spent the last couple of minutes searing at the bottom of the pot because he forgot to add more water. “ _Shit, shit, shit.”_

“No, Li, not you,” Louis repeats when the faint buzzing of his best friend’s voice filters through the phone he left on the countertop gains his attention.

“Are you alright? Olivia said something was burning.”

“Yes, everything is fine… I’ve decided we’re having pizza again,” he sighs over his failed dinner attempt. Having something delivered is probably for the best anyway. Cleanup will be much easier that way. And plus he has to get up earlier than usual tomorrow since he all but swore on his life to help out his boss. Which reminds him. “Hey, Li? I know I still owe you from last time, but could you do me huge gigantic favor and watch Olivia for a few hours tomorrow?”

“Of course. You know I don’t mind,” he agrees. “But, I thought tomorrow was your day off?” Louis did too. “Lou, you’ve got to start putting your foot down,” Liam scolds him. “I know it’s just you and Liv, but everyone needs a break sometimes. Even you.”

Yeah, Louis _could_ use some down time, but he could also use the money so he won’t complain. After all, the cash it takes to replace all the meals Louis burns during the week has to come from somewhere.

 

**Three Weeks Later**

Louis startles awake at the sound of his bedroom door ricocheting off the wall and a bloodcurdling cry that must mean someone is dead.

“I GOT IT! DADDY, I GOT IT! WAKE UP!”

He shoots up in bed at Olivia’s request, his eyes wide and his heart practically beating out of his chest which calms considerably after a lightning-speed glance-over of his daughter reveals that there’s no blood and all four limbs are still attached. _Thank God._

“What’s happened? What did you get?” he asks the tousled mess of honey curls that climb up the foot of his bed and begin bouncing all over the place when Olivia decides to treat his mattress like a bloody trampoline.

“The casting all-call for the music video! They picked me!” she exclaims, Louis’ chest taking the majority of the impact when she lands half on top of him with his laptop that he’s just noticed her holding. She all but shoves the bright screen into his face, and sure enough, the email displayed there is one congratulating his daughter on being chosen to be in something called KIWI. “I’m going to get to meet Harry Styles! Isn’t that so cool?!”

“Er- Yeah, of course! That’s so great, love. _Very_ cool,” he agrees, just happy to see her so happy.

She lets out a high-pitched squeal that quickly morphs into another bloodcurdling scream as she resumes jumping on his bed.

Louis fights off the sudden wave off motion sickness she’s inflicting upon him, grabbing his glasses to carefully read over the details of this so-called ‘music video’ so he knows what exactly he just let his eight-year-old sign up for now that he’s not elbow deep in shallots and burnt chicken, the whole time wondering what the fuck KIWIS have to do with anything and why it’s repeatedly being shouted in caps lock.

 

**Two Weeks Later**

“ _This_ is the place?” Louis mumbles as they walk up hand in hand to a deserted old school building that looks like it was constructed sometime in the Mesozoic era. He quickly consults his phone, pulling up the email with Olivia’s itinerary and finds that they are indeed in the right place.

Three days ago, Louis dropped his daughter off for a wardrobe fitting outside of a lovely studio that he felt completely comfortable leaving her at for the couple of hours she had to stay. He had anticipated the same sort of thing happening today, but there’s no kind-faced wardrobe lady waiting to escort his daughter inside so now he’s currently second guessing that plan, protectively pulling Olivia bit closer to him.

“Um, I’m just going to walk with you, okay?”

She doesn’t seem to mind at all with the big smile she sports in response.

“Okay,” she chirps. “Are you staying today, Daddy?” Her hopeful eyes blink up at him instantly melting his heart. 

Technically, Louis has the day off since it’s Saturday, but he had still planned to go into work for a couple of hours to play catch up. Maybe he shouldn’t since Olivia clearly wants him here with her. She was chosen as the lead out of the two-dozen other kids who were also cast for this video and she’s been immensely proud of herself. He knows he’ll get to see the finished product once filming for this video is done, but he wouldn’t mind getting to see his little girl in action as well.

“Sure, love. I can stick around if you want.” The way she beams and happily swings their arms between them while she leads the way up the steps of the building tells Louis _she wants._  

Any person walking by this place would’ve thought the same thing as Louis when he first saw it, but the building is neither dead or silent when they enter it. It’s actually bustling with people which means it is in fact _not_ a deserted death trap.

There are lights and cameras being set up all along the main corridor. And for some reason, anyone who’s not carrying a piece of filming equipment is instead holding a giant tray full of _pastries_?

Louis’ still frowning at the various cakes and muffins whizzing by him when a woman with long platinum hair introduces herself to him as Lou and hands him and Olivia a pair of set passes.

“Livvy! It’s so nice to see you again,” she gushes as she stoops down to hug his daughter hello. “Ready to go get dolled up and look even more gorgeous?” Olivia smiles at her compliment and nods, happily taking Lou’s hand when offered.

The woman’s eyes soften at the way Louis’ brow furrows at how quickly he was just ditched. “Would you like to come too, Dad? Parents are welcome to tag along,” Lou says, smiling in sympathy like she knows the feeling.

“Er- Yeah. I would. Thank you. Um, I’m Louis by the way.”

Her eyes light up with an amused grin at the similarities between their names. “This is going to be _really_ fun,” she tells Olivia who giggles too.

*

This type of glamorous environment with all these busy industry people running around is so different from the theatre productions his daughter has done, and yet she fits right in, enjoying all the attention she gets after she changes into her custom fitted suit that probably costs more than anything she’s ever worn in her eight years. Hell, it probably costs more than anything Louis has worn in his twenty-nine years too. He couldn’t afford as much as a Gucci shoelace.

He still doesn’t know what kids in suits have to do with anything though. Or pastries for that matter. Louis still hasn’t figured that one out.

Olivia is in good hands with the makeup team where she’s currently sitting quiet and still as a statue so Louis decides to take himself on a self-guided tour around the place. Not to be nosy, of course. Just to politely explore.

The corridor is still full of people, though most of them disappear through a set of double doors carrying more sweets. Louis follows them and the Irish man who seems to be in charge of directing people where to go…and how to toss all the sweets they’re carrying in with the rest of the frosted, sugary mountain in the center of the room.

“Are you with set design?”

Louis tears his eyes away from the food to meet the grey eyes of the man he followed here who raises an eyebrow at his cupcake-less hands.

“Uh…no, I’m not. I was just having a look around. Sorry.”

The man’s gaze moves to the guest pass hanging from his neck and then immediately reaches out his hand in greeting once he realizes he’s just a parent. “Don’t worry about it, mate. I’m Niall. Welcome.”

“Thanks,” Louis grins back, his attention still half on the giant cake mound sitting on the floor. “Er- Hey, Niall. Can I ask you a question? Where are all the kiwis? I’m only seeing a bunch of sweets.”

A tiny crease forms between the man’s eyebrows when he looks at Louis and realizes he’s being completely serious.

“Um, there are no kiwis? And the sweets are for the food war, obviously.” Louis feels himself frowning at this information and Niall’s face lights up in amusement. “You haven’t seen any of the storyboards have you? Well, you’re in for a treat,” he snorts just before shouting across the room to stop a man from adding one too many doughnuts to the top of his carefully constructed mountain.

Louis leaves once Niall takes off to do damage control. He heads back into the corridor but walks past the room where he can still see his daughter being pampered. There’s a whole room dedicated to equipment and another to kids wardrobe where a lot of the other children are still waiting, but next to it is a dressing room with only a few people in it. One of which is currently being fussed over by half a dozen hands. He’s turned around pulling on a thin white shirt to cover all the bare skin exposed above the waistband of his floral-print bottoms that look just like the ones Olivia is wearing just down the corridor. She looks darling in hers. Like a little lady with an attitude and confidence that probably got her this role in first place, but this man with his broad shoulders and array of tattoos is anything but darling. Everything about him from his long legs to his perfect bum that sits perfectly above them has Louis’ mouth going dry. He’s only able to close it when someone from wardrobe asks the man turn around to slip his matching jacket on over his shoulders and he catches Louis staring.

His feet start moving before his brain even tells them to, desperate to remove himself from the corridor so that he isn’t openly gawking inside of Harry Fucking Styles’ dressing room.

He ends up stepping all over the woman trying to bring Harry his shoes in his haste to get away. He chances a quick glance back into the dressing room to see if Harry saw that, flushing red all the way up to his ears at the tiny smile Harry bites down on while watching him escape.

*

Day one of two of filming kicks off with a loud call of action from one end of the main corridor as Oliva practices struts toward them from the other. When she asked to sign up for a chance to be in this video Louis assumed he’d end up consoling her after a swift rejection, not proudly watching her from the sidelines as she takes the lead role and completely _owns_ it.

“She’s great. You must be so proud of her.”

Louis grins at the anonymous compliment from just behind him just like all the others before. “Yeah, she’s really something,” he agrees, too captivated by all of Olivia’s raw talent to even look away because she certainly didn’t get it from him.

“I’m Harry by the way,” the person whispers making Louis’ eyes widen just as the director asks Olivia to reset and try it again. “Um, we _almost_ met earlier so I just wanted to come over and introduce myself properly.”

Their almost meeting was more like Louis getting caught peeping into Harry’s dressing room and then purposefully avoiding the shit out of him for the rest of the day, but he guesses they can call it that.

“Er- Hi, there,” Louis winces as he slowly turns to meet his doom and get the humiliation over with, unlike Louis’ fearless daughter who is so taken with Harry at this point that they’ve started developing their own secret handshake. Though, the majority of her confidence probably stems from the fact that she didn’t gawk at the man while half-naked.

“Um, so about earlier…” he begins in apology but then his hand is being warmly enveloped by a slightly larger one. Louis had every intention of explaining himself, however, one look into those emerald eyes and at the pair of dimples on either side of Harry’s grin has Louis forgetting a lot of things, including how the hinge of his fucking jaw works.

“No, it’s fine. Don’t mention it, uh-?”

“Louis,” he finishes for him, dumbly changing it to Lou and then back to Louis again once he remembers they already have one of those. All his spastic name changing does besides make Louis want to fling himself out of a window is make the corners of Harry’s mouth quirk up in even more delight. 

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Louis. Or Lou,” he jokes. “Both suit you.”

Louis works a shit ton, and when he isn’t doing that he’s looking after Olivia and destroying kitchenware instead of buying music, but that doesn’t mean he lives under a rock. He knows exactly who Harry Styles is and also how insane it is for him to still be smiling and shaking Louis’ hand like this. He eventually lets go of course, but afterwards Louis’ mouth is still drier than the strawberry cupcake he swiped from set design when no one was looking.

“I really didn’t mean to stare earlier,” he manages to blurt out. “I should’ve stayed in hair and makeup like they told me to instead of wandering around,” he apologizes.

“Seriously, Lou, it’s more than okay. And, actually, I’m kind of glad you didn’t listen,” Harry admits as that same little grin from before makes a reappearance. “N-Not in a weird way,” he clarifies with a chuckle at himself, “I just mean that I’ve seen you around with Olivia, and she’s already told me _so_ much about you, so.”

Once again, Louis is left a little speechless.

“Sh-She did? Really?”

His daughter came home raving about Harry after her fitting three days ago. She had been looking forward to meeting him for weeks, and now Louis finds out that when she finally got her chance she wasted it talking about _him_ of all things? On second thought, it sounds exactly like something she’d do Louis decides, watching her face light up when she’s finally asked to reset for the last time for take one and the set bursts to life to capture it.

“Don’t worry,” Harry chuckles when Louis’ brow furrows wondering what she could’ve told him. “They were all good things. Every one of them,” he promises as he slowly backs away towards the director beckoning him.

_They were?_

Harry leaves Louis there with the little crease between his brows that smooths with the tiny grin Harry aims in his direction before joining the rest of his crew. Everyone is focused on the camera monitor now that Olivia’s going to be shot along with the music that Louis has still yet to hear.

The director calls action again and the sound of a gravelly voice mixed with a heavy electric guitar fills the cramped corridor. And although it’s a much different kind of sound than Louis was expecting from a kid shoot featuring cupcakes, he’s instantly sold. He has yet to hear any reference to kiwis or fruits of any kind, so that still makes zero sense, but he gets the whole retro rock and roll vibe Harry’s team is going for. Or at least _he did_ up until his ears hang on Harry shouting about having someone’s baby and it apparently being _none_ their business.

Louis has been lost on the concept of this video from step one, so really, not much has changed in that department, but everyone else in the corridor seems to love the rather bizarre lyrics as well as Olivia so Louis doesn’t comment. He chooses instead to cheer the loudest for his amazingly talented kid and pretend neither of them can’t hear the music she’s strutting along to so Louis can at least maintain the illusion of sound parenting. And the illusion of not staring directly at Harry Styles leaned over the camera monitor in his custom fitted suit. That’s also a priority.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning finds Louis unceremoniously tearing through his flat in search of his keys and Olivia -patient, amazing, and thankfully nonjudgmental Olivia- waiting for him by the front door which they should’ve walked out of minutes ago.

He doesn’t even understand where his keys could be when he specifically remembers placing them on the hook yesterday afternoon when he and Olivia got home. Oddly enough, they’re not there now which is not ideal since he kind of needs them.

“ _Yes,_ _Liam_ , I’ve already told you they’re not in the bloody sofa,” Louis groans into the receiver, pulling a face when his best friend asks how he can be so sure. “Um, maybe because I’ve flipped over every pillow, cushion, and corner of this entire flat. _They’re_ _not here_.”

“You had to unlock the door to get in, genius, so they _are_ there. You just haven’t found them yet. And it was just a question. You don’t have to get all snappy.”

Louis is just about to snap at him again for making him triple check this damn sofa for a set of keys he’ll never find when he remembers that beggars can’t be choosers and Liam is always there for him no matter what. Even at half past seven in the morning to guide him through retracing his steps.

“I’m sorry. I know you're just trying to help,” Louis mutters into his palm. He stands up from his cushion-less sofa, turning at the feeling of a small finger tapping him on the arm.

His keys are proudly presented to him by his daughter smiling at her great detective work. “Here, Dad. They were hanging out of your pocket. You must’ve forgot,” she shrugs making Louis roll his eyes at himself. That should’ve been the first place he looked.

“ _Bless you!_ ” Louis thanks her before dropping a dozen appreciative kisses to the top of her brilliant head.

“Wait. What did Liv say?” Liam asks. “She found them where?”

“Er- N-Nowhere. Nothing. Everything’s fine,” Louis lies just to avoid admitting to his best friend that he is a literal idiot. His best friend still laughs and gives him shit every chance he gets about the time Louis called him to say he couldn’t find the phone. “They were in the sofa like you said. Okay, bye! Thanks!”  he hurries to say over Liam’s insistence that he thought Olivia said something about a pocket.

*

“Yes, Ms. Richardson, I’m listening. Sorry,” Louis says into his phone’s speaker as he helps his daughter run up the old school steps _mostly_ on time and tries to find the email his boss claims she sent around midnight but is conveniently missing. He uses his hip to prop open the door and the chaos of the set overpowers his phone’s small speaker, making him miss the last thing his boss said.

“S-Sorry, what was that?” he frowns, still frantically scrolling through the two-thousand-forty-six emails he’s received from her over the past two years. “Ooh! I’ve got it!” he shouts when it magically pops into his inbox making him question whether his boss _actually_ sent it last night or just now when she realized she hadn’t. “Yes, Ms. Richardson, of course. I’ll handle it.”

It’s Sunday and Olivia’s final day of shooting so he had planned to spend it watching her on set, but making a few changes to his boss’ presentation for her business conference this week will only take a few minutes.

“Daddy? Can I go with Lou now?” a small voice whispers at his side. Louis quickly stoops down to hug her when he notices Lou waving his daughter over to the breakfast table.

“Er- Yes! Sure, love. Have fun. A-And, I have to go do something at work really quick but then I’ll be right back and I’m yours for the rest of the day,” he manages to say all in one breath. “I’ll be right back! Twenty minutes tops!” he promises right before his view of his daughter standing hand-in-hand with her new makeup artist friend is blocked by a torso and pair of broad shoulders now standing directly in front of him. A very _familiar_ torso and pair of broad shoulders, Louis recognizes, amongst the outline of various tattoos hidden beneath a white t-shirt.

“Hi there,” Harry brightly greets him. “Busy morning?”

Louis looks down at where Ms. Richardson’s voice is still barking out instructions and then back up at Harry Styles kindly grinning at him with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand like some sort of sexy morning time advert.

“ _Wow_. She seems lovely,” Harry comments after a few more seconds of listening to Ms. Richardson talk at Louis rather than to him, letting his grin slowly turn into a smirk as he blows over the edge of his mug that must still be too hot to drink.

He looks the exact same as he did yesterday with his kind green eyes locked on him and the sight of his dimples making Louis’ stomach do abnormal things, but his expensive posh suit is missing today and his dark hair is wild and curly like he simply woke up and did nothing else to it. As gorgeous as he looks in magazines when he has been perfectly styled, somehow, Louis thinks he looks even better like this.

“Ms. Richardson… I’ll have to call you back,” Louis mumbles into the phone before letting his thumb blindly search for the end key as she loudly protests on the other end. The line goes dead with a click, and all Louis is left with is the chaos of the building along with Harry’s surprised yet highly impressed face for hanging up on his boss. “Hey,” Louis says now giving Harry his full attention.

“Hi again,” Harry chuckles. “Feeling better?”

He gestures toward Louis’ phone ringing incessantly in his hand and Louis feels a momentary flash of panic shoot through his chest. He can’t believe he just hung up on his boss. It felt fucking amazing. And, it’ll probably be the last thing he ever does because she is so going to slaughter him.

“Er- actually, no,” he sighs. “I have to go. To the office. Or home. _Somewhere_ I can go to get this over with and then get back here in twenty minutes like I promised. _Fifteen minutes_ ,” he corrects himself after another quick glance at his phone and Harry’s eyes soften in sympathy.

“Well, since you’re crunched for time at the moment and Olivia’s expecting you back so soon, why don’t you just stay here?”

For a moment, Louis forgets this is Harry Styles he’s dealing with instead of his best friend, Liam, and snorts a laugh at his adorably naïve suggestion to ignore everything Ms. Richardson just told him to do.

“Did you not just hear my boss? She’s _literally_ insane,” he says holding up the four missed calls he’s received in less than three minutes.

“Oh, I agree completely,” Harry chuckles with amused glance at her ringing him yet again. “She sounds horrible, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the set,” he says with a hopeful lilt. “I mean, we’re in an empty school. They gave us the building for the whole weekend so there’s plenty of places that could be your temporary office.”

Louis guesses he’s right, however a quiet room isn’t going to do him much good without some sort of device to access all the things he needs.

“Most everyone here today has a computer or at least a tablet you could borrow,” Harry continues as if he just read Louis’ mind. “I know for a fact that my friend Niall always has his MacBook with him. He wouldn’t mind you using it for a bit, I’m sure.”

Niall does seem pretty laid back and this would only take a few minutes, he supposes. Louis still feels a little weird about hijacking Harry’s friends’ belongings, but staying here _would_ be much easier than leaving and then rushing to get back.

“You’re sure it would be fine?” he checks.

“Absolutely,” Harry assures him with another flash of his dimples. “More than. Follow me.”

*

As it turns out, Niall _doesn’t_ care about Louis using his computer. He practically shoves it into Louis’ arms just happy to be able to help out with a genuine, ‘ _any friend of Harry’s is a friend of mine_.’ Louis hadn’t realized he’d been given such status but he isn’t going to dispute it in his hour of desperate need.

“Will this work? Is it quiet enough?” Harry asks as Louis eagerly slides into one of the empty desks at the edge of the classroom.

“This is perfect, Harry. You’re a life saver,” Louis answers already pulling up the presentation his boss sent him.

He quickly reads through the first two slides and corrects them, blinking away from the screen when a mug of delicious-smelling coffee suddenly slides into his line of vision on the desk. Louis hadn’t even realized Harry was still in the room.

“Thanks a lot, Harry, but, I think you’ve saved me enough for today. I can’t steal your coffee as well,” he says graciously because he really does appreciate the gesture.

“But, you’re not stealing it,” Harry assures him. “I’m pushily _offering_ because you look like you could use it.” Louis slowly raises his eyebrow at that and Harry’s eyes widen in horror. “N-No. _No_. T-That didn’t come out right at all. I didn’t mean you look _tired._ Y-You look amazing. You _always_ look amazing. I just- I meant that you could probably use the coffee for like, fuel or whatever because you’re working so hard.”

Harry’s mouth snaps shut after his hurried explanation, seemingly unsure if Louis is _actually_ offended by his slip up. He isn’t. He hasn’t been offended by anything Harry has said. Especially the part where Harry said he looks good. _Repeatedly_. 

“You look great. Fully awake,” Harry tells the floor with a nervous clearing of his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Louis tries to hide his grin as his fingers curl around the handle of the mug Harry’s tongue just tripped all over itself to give him. He already looks like he might die of embarrassment so Louis doesn’t say anything about the slight color still rising in Harry’s cheeks or the interesting flip his stomach just made knowing that Harry Styles finds him at least alright. Or, _amazing_ as he just so eloquently said.

“Thank you, Harry. You’re too kind,” Louis says instead, still fighting the grin tugging at his lips when Harry answers with a surprisingly coherent, ‘ _Don’t mention it.’_

\--------

Harry closes the door of the classroom behind him and pinches the bridge of his nose wondering what the hell just happened in there. He had started off _so_ strong helping Louis and silently glaring Niall into surrendering his Macbook with a smile. Everything was going great. Harry was the lifesaver with a mug of coffee. Louis even said so, that is, until he used the coffee to imply that Louis looked like a walking zombie. Which isn’t _at all_ true. He’s one of the most beautiful men Harry has ever seen. So beautiful in fact that Harry’s mouth doesn’t know when to shut the hell up.  

He drags himself back downstairs where sky blue eyes can’t turn him into a blabbering idiot. He stops by the breakfast table where he had first spotted Louis and grabs the chocolate muffin he was after before venturing back to hair and makeup where he can hide his face for the rest of the foreseeable future, however, he realizes hiding isn’t really an option today once he walks in and everyone there greets him with bright smiles while congratulating him on the start of day two of his video shoot.

“Thanks everyone,” Harry grins in appreciation before slumping down into the seat next to where Lou is setting up her hair station for the day. He lets out a small sigh, prompting her to raise an amused eyebrow at him.

“Talking to Louis went _that_ well, then?” she chuckles. “What happened? And, what happened to your coffee?” she frowns noticing he now has only a lonely muffin in hand.

Harry rolls his eyes at himself just thinking about that coffee. “Nothing happened. And I gave it to him,” he mutters, unsure if Louis even _likes_ coffee.

“Oh, come on, now, Haz. Cheer up,” Lou tells him with a playful ruffle of his curls that she’s going to have a hell of a time trying to tame later on. “It’ll go better next time and then you can at least give him your number. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”

No, but today _is_ the end of this video shoot and he’s already blowing it after he spent half the day yesterday just getting up the courage to say hi. He has never been _this_ out of sorts over anything, especially not somebody he’s attracted to.

Harry rolls his eyes at himself pouting in the mirror, and catches sight of a mini version of the very person he’s thinking of happily skipping into the room with two giant chocolate muffins of her own. Olivia hugs him on sight, her light brown eyes lighting up when she notices their similar choice of breakfast.

“I got some of those too,” she grins with crumbs all over the front of her shirt. “They’re _really_ good.”

“Really? You think so?” he grins back. “I haven’t tried mine yet.”

Harry had come here to sulk, but how can he when Olivia is quite literally the cutest kid ever? Her energy is almost contagious. He thought that about her before they even met. Him and his team went through hundreds of audition videos but none of them stuck out to Harry quite like hers. She’s talented and beautiful and so warm that Harry has only been in her presence for a mere forty-five seconds and already feels much lighter. Her father seems to have a similar kind of effect on him, and as far as Harry can tell, the attraction is more than mutual. Harry just can’t get his shit together enough to _talk_ to the man.

“ _Mmm_. These _are_ really good,” he says taking a huge bite off the side of his muffin at Olivia’s suggestion.

“Told you,” she brags, climbing into the chair Lou just lowered to her height. “My daddy buys them sometimes. He loves them too.”

This delicious muffin had been holding a large majority of Harry’s attention, but that random tidbit of information claims it in an instant. It makes Harry’s ears perk up and Lou dramatically roll her eyes at him with her classic, ‘ _Really, Haz?_ ’ expression as he angles his chair more in Olivia’s direction. And, yes, _really_. He’s crashing and burning here. He’s not going to turn down help from the one person who knows Louis the best.

“So, he likes chocolate, then,” Harry concludes, snorting a laugh when Olivia answers with an all too accurate response of ‘ _Who doesn’t?_ ’ that makes her sound just like Louis. “Okay, so, what else can you tell me about your dad?”

Harry listens intently as Olivia rattles off random things about her father that she didn’t reveal a few days ago when she was feeling this chatty and basically told him Louis was Superman in the flesh. This time around, he gets the essentials like Louis preferring tea over everything else just as Harry had feared, but he _does_ drink coffee on occasion. Apparently, he likes to sing in the shower and sounds incredible while doing so. He’s amazing at football, does the best mermaid braids in the entire world, and his love of sweets stems much further than just chocolate. Italian food is his all-time favorite although he’s not that great at making it himself (or cooking in general), and he works a lot more than he should. Even sometimes on weekends, though, that last one Harry had pretty much figured out on his own from this morning.

“And when he’s not working?” Harry asks. “What does he do for fun?”

“Mmm, I don’t really know,” Olivia shrugs with several little creases in her forehead as she thinks. “He works while I’m at school all day, but sometimes we go see Liam or he comes over to visit us and that’s always fun,” she smiles; pretty much the equivalent of shoving a knife right through Harry’s heart.

“O-Oh. _Liam_ ,” Harry weakly nods because he definitely hadn’t imagined someone else in all his fantasies of the two of them dating.

As far as Harry can tell, Louis is the only person who takes care of Olivia since neither of them has ever mentioned another parent, but that doesn’t mean her father isn’t currently seeing someone. His friend, Lou, gives him a look of sympathy in the mirror that isn’t half as disappointed as Harry feels realizing he’s got a massive crush on someone who’s already taken.

“So…they spend a lot of time together, I guess?”

“Mhmm,” Olivia confirms through a new mouth full of chocolate. “We both do because my uncle Liam is _so_ cool. And funny. He makes these pancakes with bananas _and_ chocolate chips in them, and he lets me stay up late to watch movies whenever my dad has to work, but it’s our secret,” she explains, frowning when she realizes she just spilled it. “Er- And ours too,” she quickly amends with a grin.

Harry can imagine just how ‘ _cool_ ’ all that must be to an eight-year-old, but honestly, Harry’s more interested in the whole uncle part of this tale and how it relates to Louis.

“ _Uncle_ Liam, huh? So, he’s your dad’s brother?”

“Well, no. Not really,” she answers with a little crinkle in her forehead, “But, they act like brothers. My dad says they’ve been friends since they were my age.”

_Friends._

That small word is like a symphony to Harry’s ears, and his face must show it because Lou immediately resorts back to fondly rolling her eyes at him.

“So, Liam’s your uncle because he and your dad hang out a lot and are best mates,” Harry sums up with a growing smile that can’t be stopped. This is the best news ever.  

“Yes?” Olivia answers with an air of suspicion that’s eerily similar to the way Louis looked at him earlier when Harry gave him free caffeine. “Why?” she asks. “Do _you_ want to be best mates with my dad?”

Well, that’s one way of putting it he supposes.

“Er- Sort of?” Harry answers carefully, suddenly feeling a lot less confident about his chances here having never dated someone with kids before. “Would it be okay with you if your dad and I became friends?”

Prior to this moment, he had assumed he and Olivia were solid. That she’d be into the idea of the three of them seeing more of each other after this shoot. She and Harry both have a borderline obsessive appreciation for all things glittery, flowery, and Frozen related. The two of them even made up a secret handshake during fittings last week so he honestly didn’t think she’d mind him getting to know her father.

She seems to ponder his question for a while and it’s the longest wait of Harry’s life hoping she’s as fond of Harry as he has become of her. Eventually, she eases his worries, smiling as she hands him a peace offering in the form of the spare chocolate muffin she grabbed on the way here.

“My dad forgot to eat this morning because he lost the keys, so I grabbed extra,” she explains.

“And so… you’re giving it to _me_?” Harry raises an eyebrow. He literally just ate one of these.

“No, to give to _him_ ,” Oliva grins with a tragic shake of her head. “I told you he loves chocolate, so if you really do like him and you want to be his friend, start there.”

Louis loves chocolate and Harry might just love his brilliant new accomplice. She’s better than any wingman he’s ever had. Including _Niall_.

“Have you _no_ shame?” Lou teases him under her breath as she finally starts working on Olivia’s long curls.

When it comes to Louis, apparently not.

\--------

The sound of Louis’ stomach complaining of being empty was just as much motivation to get finished with work as was never again having to look at the forty-three-slide presentation he zoomed through correcting. Now, he’s simply drained, and starving, and sadly, disappointed because all those big chocolatey muffins he and Harry passed on the way up to his temporary office are gone.

He stands in front of the table now mentally debating whether blueberry or raisin spice sucks less when a gooey chocolate muffin is suddenly inches away from his face along with Harry of all people. Not that he’s at all complaining about that last part.

“So, a little bird may have mentioned that these are a favorite of yours,” he says, offering him the food with a hopeful smile.

How Harry seems to always be in the right place at the right time with yummy treats in hand is a mystery, but Louis could really get used to it happening. He has clearly turned fugitive in order to even be here, still dressed in the comfy outfit he came in wearing except with perfectly styled hair as opposed to the adorable mess of almost-curls he was sporting earlier.

He could be getting ready for his day. He _should_ be doing that actually, or a million other things besides standing here with him, and yet he isn’t. So, Louis accepts the muffin saved just for him, both impressed and also grateful as hell that he doesn’t have to choke down baked raisins.

“I’m curious. Am I special or do you spoil all your actors’ parents this way?” Louis grins as he takes a heavenly bite.

It’s more of a rhetorical question really since the answer here is more than obvious. It’s just fun watching Harry blush and roll his eyes at himself for _being_ so obvious.

“Well, only the really great parents I’d like to know better,” Harry tells him. “I gave everybody else the gross muffins with the fruit.”

Louis tries not to fall victim to his dimples. He really, _really_ does, but the sudden appearance of them has him rolling his eyes and surrendering to a smile of his own within seconds.

“So,” Louis begins again, sparing a knowing look that Harry answers with the face pure innocence even amid the inquiries concerning his whereabouts that can be heard further down the corridor. However, Harry doesn’t seem concerned about ignoring his team to chat with him so Louis isn’t either. “Yesterday, you sort of mentioned that Olivia-”

“You mean _The Bird_ ,” Harry interjects with a straight face making Louis snort.

“Right. Excuse me. This _bird_ ,” he corrects himself. “It sounds like she’s been doing quite a bit of chirping about me these past few days…” Louis still finds it hard to believe his name comes up at all during their little conversations. He’s honestly not that interesting.

Harry chuckles at his suspicious tone. “You seem so surprised that you’re her favorite person. What sorts of things do you think she’s been telling me?”

“Don’t know, really,” Louis shrugs. “Probably that I’m notorious for losing things in plain sight, we’re always running _at least_ fifteen minutes late to everywhere, I once dyed entire load of laundry pink, and her diet consists mainly of take-away pizza and partially burned recipes I find online?”

It’s completely silent until Harry barks out a laugh just as Louis meant for him to, but there’s also a softness in his gaze once he gets himself under control.

“Nope. Not even close,” Harry tells him with a firm shake of his head. “Those things may be true and also, _hilarious_ , but Olivia hasn’t mentioned them.”

“Don’t you mean _The Bird_?” he jokes.

“Yes, her,” Harry chuckles. “But, she’s not as hard on you as you think, you know? Mostly, she just talks about how amazing you are to anyone who will listen. She’s proud of her dad. Simple as that.”

Louis knows that his daughter loves him just as much as he loves her. They tell each other that every single day, but it’s also rather nice to hearing it reaffirmed by someone else. Having Harry look at him with so much admiration and respect isn’t too bad of a feeling either.  

“ _Oh._ Well, then,” Louis clears his throat feeling his cheeks warm from so much praise. “I guess that’s not _so_ bad.”

“Told you they were all good things,” Harry boasts with a grin as if Olivia doesn’t think he hung the moon as well.

*

“So? What do you think?! someone asks a few hours later with an enthusiastic nudge to Louis’ arm. “It looks amazing, right?”

He tears his eyes away from his daughter completely covered in cake frosting to find Niall standing next to him, the great architect of the sweets mountain that just supplied the greatest food fight in history. The point of which Louis is still very much lost on, but even so he can’t deny that the shots from it look fantastic.

“Well, uh…” Louis says frowning down at the random chunk of doughnut stuck to his shoe and the cupcake sprinkles splattered across the leg of his jeans. “The sweets mountain looked great, but the food fight was, uh… _also_ great,” he decides, discreetly shaking off the sugary debris. “Like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

The idea of being hit in the face with giant pastries hasn’t sounded very appealing to Louis ever since he learned that’s what was happening today, but every child standing in this empty gym looks positively thrilled to have done so. Oddly enough, Niall looks just as pumped about it as well as disappointed that he didn’t get to join in full force despite being one of the professional adults in the room.  

“Really? You think so?” Niall beams at him and the complete mess covering the floor. “Well, if you loved watching that, just wait until the last bit! My team is on their way back with the puppies now.”

_The what?_

Louis can feel his brow furrowing as he runs that statement through his brain for a second time and still hears the same crazy thing.

“Sorry. Did you just say _puppies_?”

He’s not sure where the direction of this video is headed but he damn sure didn’t think it involved that.

“You never did look at those storyboards, did you?” Niall snorts at his bewildered expression, fondly clapping Louis on the shoulder. “Oh, man, you’re hilarious! I see why Haz likes you so bloody much,” he says before walking away, snorting a new laugh now that Louis looks even more clueless than before.

Louis can’t even process what he just said about Harry or the fact that Harry has been not-so-discreetly peeking over at him all day. He’s still stuck on the first bomb Niall dropped, suddenly moving to flag the set designer down when he decides it must be a joke.

“Wait a minute,” he calls after him. “ _Actual_ puppies?”

*

Between two long days of filming this music video and Olivia blasting KIWI at home every chance she gets, Louis has inadvertently become quite the fan. The lyrics are still bizarre and Louis has no idea how the title has any significance whatsoever, but, he has heard it about a billion and one times by now so it’s not like he can escape it or pretend like his foot isn’t happily tapping along each time it plays.

In the words of the quirky song itself, it’s driving him crazy. But, he’s kind of into it.

Surprisingly enough, what Louis’ even more into than the song Harry wrote is the man himself, currently rolling around in a battle field of cupcakes and sugar and _puppies_ and somehow still managing to pull it off and look cool. His custom suit is ruined by the end of it just like all the mini suits the kids are wearing, but they all had a blast getting them that way. He knows Olivia sure has. This is an experience she’ll never forget.

The very last thing Harry and the kids are asked to do before the shoot officially wraps is pose together for a group picture of all the carnage that ensued. Every one of them looks messier than the last which makes everybody on set laugh, but Louis can’t help but focus on the middle pair looking thick as thieves with giant matching smiles that make Louis happy as well as a bit sad because unfortunately, this is where it all ends.

They stick around afterwards so Olivia can say goodbye to everyone she has met here. She doesn’t usually get to hang out with kids that share her interest in acting or people who know the industry the way Harry and his team do. She looks like she never wants to leave which is why it nearly breaks Louis’ heart to have to make her.

“Liv?” Louis tries over the sound of her cackling as the giant Labrador puppy she has been playing with since this morning licks cake off her cheeks. Why this video required half a dozen puppies to begin with, Louis still has no idea, but they’re cute and lovable and have been on cloud nine having a building full of people shower them with affection all day and all the food they could ever want.

“Liv? I’m sorry, baby, but it’s time for us to go,” he says regretfully.

“ _Nooo. Already, Daddy_?” she asks with those big chocolate eyes of hers hopefully pinned on him. Louis attempts to withstand their pull, but then he looks to his left and Harry’s emerald ones are just as big and irresistible as he approaches them. He’s been so busy thanking everyone for their time that Louis feared they might not get to say goodbye.

“Yeah, Dad, come on. _Already_?” Harry grins next to him with his hair and face still streaked with icing. For a moment, Louis’ hand reaches out to clean him off before his brain comes to its senses and decides to _not_ run his fingers over Harry Styles’ jawline.

“Yeah, it’s a school night,” he answers them both, hoping his brain’s temporary lapse in judgement went unnoticed. _It didn’t_ if the amused gleam in Harry’s eyes is anything to go by.

“But, Dad, the _puppy_ ,” his daughter implores him holding up the bear of a Labrador for him to see. As if Louis could miss his sad round eyes and big clumsy paws he still can’t properly control. “Look at him. Isn’t he adorable?”

He is, is the thing. This lump of fur is arguably the most adorable thing he’s ever seen besides Olivia.

“Um…actually,” a deep voice mummers in his ear, sending the fleet of butterflies in Louis’ stomach into an absolute frenzy. “They _do_ all need good homes. They’re just visiting us from the shelter a few blocks away.”

Olivia gasps, now looking at the dog with stars in her eyes. “You always said we could get a pet one day, Daddy. _Pleeease_?”

Louis winces at the reminder regretting ever making such a huge promise because there’s no way they can take this puppy home tonight when it’s going to take an entire century just to comb the globs of cake out of Olivia’s hair. Never mind the fact that they don’t have any of the things they would need take to care of him.

“You’re right, love,” Louis admits. “I did say that, but, Liv, a dog really is a lot of responsibility and I just don’t think this is the night. But, maybe we can talk about it again soon? Maybe when it’s closer to your birthday?” At least then Louis will have more time to mentally prepare for another living and breathing thing in the house that he has to keep alive, because so far, houseplants and the like have not gone very well.

Waiting is a pretty good compromise in Louis’ opinion, even if it’s more than obvious that Olivia had already decided this dog was as good as hers. However, her devastation about leaving him behind is barely even noticeable as she regretfully says goodbye to the chubby ball of wheat-colored fur she’s been lovingly referring to as Kiwi all day.

Unfortunately, it’s so late that the time has come for her to say goodbye to everyone here, including the one person who made this entire experience possible for her; Harry. She wraps him in a hug that makes Harry laugh from how tight her little arms manage to squeeze him in, and makes Louis’ heart warm to see Harry’s face light up in a way that’s all too familiar from the millions of loving hugs Louis has received from his daughter over the years.

When she finally lets go, she informs them both that she needs to go say goodbye to everybody else which isn’t suspicious in the slightest, but what does make Louis furrow his brow is the sneaky thumbs up and the mischievous look that passes between her and Harry just before she skips off, leaving them there alone.

Harry faces him with traces of their secretive smirk still visible despite his many efforts to stamp down on it. Louis doesn’t know why, but knowing the two of them have something up their sleeves makes him more intrigued than anything else. Especially if it has Harry nervously chewing at his bottom lip like this.

“ _Wow_. I wonder what that was all about. Or are we pretending I didn’t see it?” Louis jokes, making Harry’s lips twist up from trying not to laugh.

“I have no idea what you’re referring to,” he claims, which only confirms Louis’ suspicions.

Louis peeks over his shoulder, just catching his daughter giving Harry a significant raise of her eyebrows before going back to pretending she’s not openly spying on them like the rest of the people in the room.

“ _Riiight_ ,” Louis snorts a laugh. “You and The Bird aren’t up to anything at all.”

“We may have talked about some things earlier,” Harry finally admits.

“Talked,” Louis echoes with narrowed eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Harry caves with a laugh. “Maybe plotted or strategized are better words.”

Louis can’t explain why, but the little pocket of silence they fall into is exciting. To Louis, it feels like they’re teetering just on the edge of something. The beginning of a friendship possibly, but the way Harry’s looking at him as he nervously clears his throat makes him think it’s a bit more than that. At least he hopes it is.

“…So, I don’t usually like, _stalk_ people the way I’ve kind of been doing to you for the past two days,” Harry begins which is both mildly unsettling as well as incredibly endearing; a magical combination that somehow has Louis instantly sold on whatever he’s trying to say. “It’s just- I like you, Louis,” he says flat out. “I’ve wanted to know you from the moment you got here and I did get to do that a little bit, but, it wasn’t nearly enough time, so. I’d like to have a bit more?” he finishes quietly. “If-If that’s okay with you of course.”

Louis can’t even respond to Harry Styles feeling any sort of connection with him at all. He’s in too much shock which must look weird from Harry’s side of things, but Louis can’t help it. He has enjoyed every moment that the two of them got to talk with one another, however it was hard finding time for that sort of thing with Harry working and Louis being a supportive dad.

“Er- Sure, Harry. More time sounds fine to me,” Louis manages to say without screaming, jumping up and down, or an embarrassing combination of both, though the enormous smile he’s wearing probably gives him away.

They exchange numbers in the middle of the gym and Louis can’t help but notice the multiple looks of approval they get from everybody scattered around them, including Olivia who returns to his side just in time to see him hand Harry back his phone with his heart pounding despite him standing completely still.

He honestly can’t remember the last time someone made him feel like that so soon. It’s possible that no one ever has.


	3. Part Two

It doesn’t take long for Harry’s name to start regularly popping up on Louis’ phone throughout the day and for Louis’ stomach to do a full cartwheel each time it does. He’s not sure how it’s possible, but every message he receives from Harry is funnier and sweeter and more honest than the last just like the first one he ever sent Louis just one hour after they’d left the KIWI set to allegedly ‘ _make sure Louis’ number was saved correctly,’_ and then the follow-up text he sent right after admitting that was a lie he made up because he simply couldn’t wait. Louis never told him that he’d been pacing around his bedroom for twenty minutes contemplating doing the exact same thing. Sometimes, Louis contemplates calling Harry up in the middle of the night and just flat-out demanding to see him again already, but he doesn’t want to come on too strong, and besides, it has only been a week. Thankfully, Louis’ impatience doesn’t drive him to resort to such measures, because Harry, who seems to be just as eager to see him again, breaks first.

It happens on a Saturday when Louis is elbow-deep in bacon and scrambled eggs over the stove top, and singing along to KIWI which he and Olivia have yet to tire of after hearing six billion times. Louis had initially bought the song specifically for her to listen to since she had snagged a role in the video, but now he blasts it just as much as she does along with the rest of Harry’s amazing album Louis bought the morning after filming wrapped.

His phone rings and luckily nothing burns or erupts into flame while Louis searches for it on every surface in the kitchen. He finds it (or really, _Olivia_ finds it) lying beneath the carton of eggs and Louis nearly chokes when he sees who it is.

“H-Hello? Harry?” Louis frowns as Oliva pauses the music on the laptop so he can better hear, and sure enough, Harry’s deep voice trickles through his phone with a bright ‘Good Morning’ that Louis has missed these past few days.

What could warrant a phone call when texting seems to be their thing, Louis has no idea, but he can’t lie and say it’s not a nice surprise.

“Hey. Good morning to you too,” Louis greets him again like he didn’t just do that. “Sorry. Er- Hi. What’s up? How are you?”

“I’m great,” Harry relays through a small chuckle that eventually ends in a nervous huff of air into the receiver. “So, I know you and Olivia technically _just_ got rid of me and all,” he begins making Louis fondly roll his eyes.

“Yes, we did,” Louis grins. “Go on.”

“Well, what I’m getting at is that, uh…I’m playing a small show here later tonight. And, I don’t know if you and Olivia have plans or not already, but-”

“Okay.”

“W-Wait, what? Okay?” Harry asks unbelievably.  Perhaps Louis should’ve at least let him finish the invite before accepting it. “Seriously?”

“Of course. We’d love to,” Louis laughs. “What time does it start?”

“Um, seven, but I’ll be there all day after sound check so you’re welcome anytime. I can show you around if you’d like.”

“That would be amazing, Harry.” For him and for his daughter who has never even been to a show.

“Great! So, I’ll just have a couple of tickets emailed to you, then? And you’ll both get passes tonight too as soon as you arrive. I’ll come find you.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Louis chuckles at his enthusiasm. “Thank you so much. We’ll see you soon,” he promises, catching sound of an excited ‘ _Can’t wait’_ just before they hang up.

Louis has to work to control the smile stretched across his face before turning to face his daughter in her own little world with a notebook and every crayon in existence scattered across their kitchen table as she waits for breakfast to be served. The music isn’t playing at the moment but she hasn’t stopped humming, wearing her glittery flower crown that Liam got her on top of her sleep mussed curls and the Gucci jacket she got to keep from the video shoot pulled over her pajamas the way she now loves to do around the house just for the hell of it.

Olivia glances up from her drawing when she realizes he’s no longer on the phone. “Can I play KIWI now?” she asks, her face reminding Louis exactly of his own when she raises an eyebrow at how freakishly wide he’s grinning.

“Sure, love,” he shrugs. “However, I wonder how you would feel about hearing it live?”

From the sound of Olivia squealing and the peculiar feeling of Louis’ eardrums bleeding as a result, she’s in. And from the smell of their forgotten breakfast overcooking on the stove, they may be heading _out_ for breakfast instead.

*

Louis’ jaw has been hanging open since he opened his email fifteen minutes after his and Harry’s conversation realizing the ‘small show’ he invited them to isn’t so small at all. It’s at the fucking O2 Arena. And although they’ve now had a personal tour through the entire venue and then escorted to the best seats imaginable, Louis’ still in a state of shock because the Harry on stage performing in front of twenty-thousand people and the Harry who says good morning with half a dozen sun emojis as well as enlists the help of eight-year-olds to win him over are somehow the same person. Which, obviously, Louis knew this all along, but it’s one thing to have Harry Styles’ number in his phone and another to have him strutting across the stage right in front of him.

Harry is on stage for two hours and should be exhausted just from keeping his energy level so high for so long, and yet he still invites him and Olivia backstage again, welcoming them with a bright smile as if they’re what he’s been waiting for all night. They stay for a long time. Until Harry’s team starts clearing out of the venue and Olivia begins hiding sleepy yawns in Louis’ side.

She has had quite the night of excitement after attending her very first concert and then having her favorite song of all time dedicated to her by her favorite artist. Louis knew she’d be done for after all the jumping and dancing around she did during KIWI and then Harry went and sang the whole song again just to get people even more excited about the music video coming out soon, making his daughter even more proud to have been a part of it. Now, at half-past eleven, it’s no wonder his daughter is exhausted, but what does take Louis by surprise is their amazing host who calls a car for them and then volunteers to walk them out to it even though he has been hiding his yawns as well.  

“ _Really?_ You’re singing here tomorrow night too?” Olivia gasps, suddenly reenergized by the idea of all of this taking place for a second time.

“Yep!” Harry grins down at her. “I’ll be right here, and you’re more than welcome to visit again,” he offers, which is beyond generous of him.

“Daddy, did you hear that? Harry says we can come back tomorrow! Can we?” his daughter asks him, and she’s so cute in her oversized Harry Styles hoodie that Louis almost says yes.

“Aw, I wish we could, love.” Louis really, really does. “But, tomorrow’s Sunday. It’s a school night, so regular bedtime, I’m afraid.” It’s as if he said there are no more puppies in the world with the giant sigh she lets out at the mention of school.

“Your dad’s right, Liv. School is very important,” Harry chuckles as he stoops down to wrap her in a tight hug. “But, definitely the next show though. I’ll make sure it’s another Saturday,” he promises which instantly lifts her devastation.

She returns his hug with twice the force as she thanks him for the hundredth time tonight. Louis follows his daughter’s example once Harry helps her inside their car and she’s safely buckled in using her new Harry Styles t-shirts as pillows.

“Thanks so much for all of this. For the tickets, and the passes, this _car_ ,” Louis laughs to himself, realizing that’s only a fraction of what Harry has done for them. “Seriously, Harry. You’re too kind.”

Harry accepts the praise about as well as Louis expected he would, humbly brushing it off like he isn’t wonderful. “You don’t have to thank me for anything. I’m just happy that Olivia had such a good time.”

“Yeah, she did,” Louis nods taking a step closer to him. “And, so did I. Your show was amazing, Harry, and so were you. I loved every second of it.”

Harry seems a little surprised to receive such a compliment, but immensely flattered nonetheless as he bites down on a shy grin.

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Don’t mention it.”

“Alright,” Harry chuckles letting his gaze linger on Louis’ lips before moving down to the pavement beneath their feet.

He nervously clears his throat, letting several seconds tick by where neither of them says anything at all, the anxious energy coursing through Louis’ veins making him feel restless. For some reason, Louis is not being kissed. Not even on the cheek, which shouldn’t bother him really considering they’re standing in the middle of an empty car lot and his daughter is napping just feet away, but still. He guesses he was sort of expecting one.

Louis doesn’t think too hard about it before stepping further into Harry’s space since he’s obviously torn about doing so himself. However, Harry doesn’t seem to mind it at all when their lips finally touch and slot together. It happens so quickly and they’re both so quiet once they pull away that it’s almost as if nothing even happened. The only way that someone walking by would be able to tell that something did are the tell-tale stupid grins neither he or Harry can wipe off their faces.

“So… I guess I’ll talk to you in the morning, then?” Louis says when it becomes apparent that they’re likely to stand here smiling at each other for the rest of forever.

“You will,” Harry promises him with a gaze that keeps drifting back down to Louis’ mouth no matter how hard he tries not to stare. He’s fighting a losing battle with himself, but eventually he surrenders, leaning down to capture Louis’ lips again like he couldn’t let him leave without kissing them one more time. “Text me when you’re both home safe?” he whispers once they part again, but Louis hardly hears him over the sound of his own heartbeat racing.

Harry opens the car door and Louis slides into the backseat with Olivia. “Okay. And, you too. Let me know when you’re home,” he says, fighting the urge to crawl back out.

The door gently shuts and their driver finally starts the car, kindly avoiding the rearview mirror to pretend he can’t see Louis smiling at absolutely nothing. Louis fondly glances over at his sleeping daughter who is usually a great actress, but tonight her eyelids twitching from the exertion of forcing them closed gives her away.

“You’ve been awake this whole time, haven’t you?”

The guilty wince she makes before sitting up is answer enough.

“Not the _whole_ time,” she mumbles. “Okay, maybe a little. Okay, yes,” she finally confesses making Louis snort a laugh.

Knowing his daughter and her particular brand of mischief, Louis should’ve known there was a slight chance of her seeing them.

“Is there anything you’d like to ask me? …Maybe about Harry?” Louis’ only asking as a precaution since Olivia’s other father was out of the picture before she could even talk, so he’s pretty certain Olivia has never seen him kiss anybody _._ Well, besides Liam occasionally and obnoxiously on the cheek, but Louis only does that to be annoying.

“No,” she answers after only thinking it over for a beat. “I like Harry. And I think you should have a boyfriend.”

Louis raises an eyebrow at that. “You do?” he frowns. “Why?”

“Because,” she manages to get out before big yawn cuts her off. “You both smiled all night. Harry likes you and you like him, so that means you’ll be really happy all the time.”

By eight-year-old logic, her theory makes a lot of sense. What makes Louis grin and smack a kiss to her temple is that it makes sense by twenty-nine-year-old adult standards too.

*

The KIWI video is released a few weeks later and although Louis knew just how great it was from the final edit, the response to the video is so much bigger and louder than Louis ever thought possible. Apparently, a gymnasium full of puppies, cake, and kids in mini-suits was a winning concept after all even though Louis still doesn’t get how any of those things add up. It’s just fun he supposes, so that must be why people love it so much. And his daughter is incredibly talented and shined throughout the entire video, so that must be why their phone hasn’t stopped ringing in days.

“Hello? Yes, this is her father,” Louis says, quickly reaching for a towel to stop the pot on the stove from boiling over. “Um, no, it’s fine. She doesn’t have an agent. She- _Shit,”_ he hisses as the towel slips off the handle, making him singe the tips of his fingers, but the person standing next to him reaches out with an oven mitt to catch the pot before it can spill.

“Hey, you go deal with the phone. I’ve got this,” Harry assures him with a quick kiss to his temple.

“O-Okay. Thanks,” Louis whispers, accepting the help as well as the kiss just as another call comes in from none other than his boss. “Er- Sorry. Hang on for just one second?” he tells the movie casting director going on and on about the role she thinks Olivia would be just perfect for, before quickly answering the other line. “Hello? Yes, Ms. Richardson. What can I do for you?”

Twenty minutes on the phone leaves Louis slumped back in one of the kitchen chairs, the casting director disappointed and extremely annoyed that Olivia isn’t taking on any long-term projects at the moment due to school, and his boss, Ms. Richardson, completely stress-free since she just unloaded it all onto Louis to deal with tomorrow in what will be yet another late work night.

“How’d everything go?” Harry asks, sitting down in the chair next to him with the chicken pasta that Louis nearly lost his fingers trying to make and three clean plates.

“My boss still hates me and apparently I’m ruining my child’s life because I appreciate the value of a good education over an Academy Award,” he jokes, grinning when Harry looks genuinely worried about him. “I’m fine, I promise. This week has just been a little crazy, _but_ having you over for dinner tonight is great. And the fact that you basically cooked everything makes it even better.”

He can hear Olivia singing to herself in her bedroom as she tidies it up. Or at least, that’s what she’s supposed to be doing anyway. Either way, she’s not in the room with them at the moment so Louis doesn’t shy away from the deep kiss Harry pulls him into, letting it soothe him and clear his mind for just a few blissful seconds.

“Thank you. I needed that,” he admits, grinning at how beautiful and green Harry’s eyes are whenever they’re this close. 

“You’re working yourself too hard, love,” Harry says sounding just like a clone of Louis’ best friend. Which reminds him.

“I forgot I need to call Li,” he sighs. “I’m going to have to work late again tomorrow.”

Olivia was just over at Liam’s a couple of days ago for the same reason, but it’s not like she or him will mind getting to hang out again and not-so-secretly watch movies all evening.  

“I could watch Olivia for you,” Harry randomly offers.

Louis fondly rolls his eyes, the grin on his lips fading when he realizes Harry fully means it. Harry’s work schedule is just as crazy as his with all the shows and appearances he does. He has been able to come over for dinner a few nights per week, but that’s only possible due to him moving things around so he can be here.

“Haz, I appreciate it, but I know you have other things to do,” Louis tries, but Harry just shakes his head.  

“No, I’d love to,” he insists. “And, actually I don’t have plans at all anymore. I did have a writing session scheduled for the studio but it got moved to next week, so now I’m completely free. I can stay with Liv, help with homework, _cook dinner_ again,” he grins at the chicken pasta he just saved from destruction. “Whatever you need. I don’t mind.”

Harry being here with her at home _would_ be much easier than Louis having to take her all the way to Liam’s and then pick her up so late at night. And, although Louis hasn’t asked his daughter for her opinion about Harry looking after her, he’s sure she’ll be more than thrilled to spend extra time with her new best friend and partner in crime.  

“ _So_?” Harry needles. “Come on. What do you think?” he says, gently- _annoyingly_ \- nudging at Louis’ feet under the table. “Alright, I’ll have you know that I am a _fantastic_ babysitter,” he huffs when Louis continues to ignore him and his ‘credentials’ simply because it’s hilarious. “You’re lucky to have me on such short notice. The waiting list is usually out the door.”

Louis snorts at that, wondering if Harry has ever babysat before in his life, but he is right about one thing. Louis is lucky to have him.

It’s late the following night when Louis tiptoes in from work to a flat that is still standing and the self-proclaimed most sought after babysitter in the world softly snoring on the couch in front of an episode of Friends.

Louis doesn’t disturb him as he does a quick lap around the place finding dinner and a plate of freshly baked double-chocolate cookies waiting for him in the kitchen, the laundry that’s been piling up for two weeks magically washed and folded, and his daughter whose curls have been washed and combed through, tucked into bed and fast asleep. 

He heads back to the living room grinning at the deep pout on Harry’s face when Louis gently pushes his hair away from his eyes. He wakes with a small start, relaxing when he sees it’s just Louis sitting next to him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even hear you come in,” he croaks out in apology once he’s awake enough to sit up. “I’ll get going so you can get some sleep. I know you’re probably exhausted.”

Louis has been fantasizing about his bed for hours, but now, he can’t imagine crawling into it alone.

“You should just stay here tonight. With me,” he clarifies so Harry knows he’s not talking about him sleeping on this couch.

“Wait. Really?” he asks, rubbing at his eyes like he may still be sleeping.

“ _Yes_. _Really_ ,” Louis laughs, lacing their fingers together. “I want you to stay over. It’s late and you shouldn’t be driving when there’s a perfectly good bed for you here.”

“Okay, but, what about Olivia?”

“Well, thanks to the best babysitter in the world, she’s sleeping right now. And, I always wake up first to get her ready for school anyway, so we’ll just say you slept on the couch.”

Harry pretends to mull it over for an entire millisecond before his eyes are lighting up with a grin. “Is this the kind of sleepover I think it is? Because, even if it’s not, either way, I’ll still love waking up to you, so-”

The man baked, entertained his kid all night, did their laundry, and that was just probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said _ever_.

“Haz?” Louis says, grabbing both of his cheeks between his palms to stop him from rambling. “Shut up.” He kisses him quiet, not even bothering to answer his question as he walks them to his room and kicks the door shut behind them. This is definitely about to be _that_ kind of sleepover.

*

Louis’ shoulders hit the back of the door with a thump much louder than either of them meant this late at night and now they can’t stop laughing.

“ _You’re going to get us caught,”_ Harry shushes him through a giggle like he wasn’t the one who just tripped over his own feet in his haste and then used Louis to break his fall.

Sneaking someone into his bedroom isn’t something Louis has a lot of practice in, but he’s pretty sure they’re doing it wrong after five minutes of intense snogging leads to more laughs and accidental injuries than clothing on the floor. All of this feels like unfamiliar territory after being single for so long, but it’s gradually coming back to him with each touch and every kiss.

“Let me,” Louis insists, tugging at the ends of Harry’s half-opened jeans when he looks like he might combust if he doesn’t get them off. “Jesus, could they be any tighter?” he snorts after wedging them down his thighs with much effort.

“No,” Harry winces down at himself straining against his tight boxer briefs. “That’s sort of the problem.”

That may be so, but it’s the best problem Louis has ever seen or felt as he runs his fingers along the outline of it. “Can I?” Louis asks, already toying with the waistband of the final layer he can’t wait to peel off him.

The last time he saw Harry exposed this way he wasn’t even half as naked as he is now and he stopped Louis dead in his tracks. Louis wanted him even then. Right there in his dressing room. Except they were surrounded by people and the two of them had yet to even properly meet. They know each other now though. Well enough for Louis slip his fingers beneath Harry’s waistband and tease him until his hands are shaking where they’re splayed against the door above him.

Louis’ knees ache a bit as he settles onto them but the sting is forgotten the moment Harry’s exposed before him and leaking at the head. His cock is as beautiful as the rest of him, making Louis’ mouth water from just the thought of swallowing him down.

His first taste is like a revelation realizing how much he has missed this, wasting no more time before taking Harry’s whole tip into his mouth to suck on it.

“ _You’re going to get us caught,”_ he parrots back at Harry when a ragged moan escapes him.

“Sorry. I- I’m trying. I’m- _Fuck_ ,” he swears, biting into his bottom lip until it turns white when Louis grins and takes him into his mouth a bit further. Louis believes he is trying to stay quiet, but it’s also fun to listen to him fail.

It’s like a game with Louis dragging him right up to the edge just to gently pull him back. One of Harry’s hands flies from its position against the door to muffle his voice, but Louis’ ears still catch every whimper, using his sounds to spur himself on until Harry’s shooting down his throat without warning.

Harry head rolls back as his fevered skin gets mottled by deep kisses all along his hips and thighs. He pulls Louis up from his knees, fiercely licking into his mouth as soon as they’re face to face.

Slowly, the rest of Louis’ thin layers go slipping off his body until he’s just as bare as Harry, yet twice as hard from not coming yet. He sucks in a deep breath when Harry wraps his long fingers around his length, now regretting all the teasing he put Harry through before.

“Haz? Are you- Are you going to return the favor?” he pants out, unsure if Harry is _ever_ going to get around to sucking him off. The mischievous gleam visible in Harry’s eye sends chills down his arms as Harry leads him to his bed and splays him out on top it.

“I’m planning to do a lot more than just that,” he promises before finally sinking his mouth down around him, making Louis see stars streaked across the ceiling.

*

Louis wakes up with bleary eyes, his muscles a bit sore, and somebody’s deep, even breaths falling against the back of his neck. He turns over in the lax grip Harry has around his waist and grins at how adorable he looks completely spent from the night before.

“Harry?” he whispers, chuckling at way his face scrunches up from being pulled from sleep. “Babe, are you awake?” he asks just as a tiny voice from outside his bedroom asks the same thing.

“Daddy? Are you awake?”

“ _Shit!”_ Louis hisses as his daughter knocks on the door they forgot to lock. “ _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ ”

Harry shoots up in bed next to him with wide eyes as Olivia knocks again. “Did we-?”

“Fucking oversleep? _Yes,_ ” Louis says, watching in horror as the handle of the door twists.

“Daddy?”

“Shit! Get down! Hide!”

“Hide where?” Harry snorts as Louis quickly shoves him down flat against the mattress and throws the duvet over him just as his door creaks open.

Olivia pokes her head into the room blinking in surprise to find Louis there.

“Hey there, Liv,” he smiles pinching Harry on the arm when he feels his laughs shaking the bed. “Good Morning, love. Er- So, what’s up?”

“It’s time for school?”

 “Uh-Yes. Yes, it is. Sorry. I- I must’ve forgotten to set an alarm,” he says and it isn’t even a lie since he _did_ mean to set an alarm. He was just a little busy. Or _a lot_. “Hey, Liv, why don’t you go get dressed really quick and I’ll make you some breakfast?” he suggests when he starts genuinely fearing for Harry’s oxygen supply.

“Okay,” his daughter agrees after a while, raising an eyebrow at his abnormally long legs beneath the covers.

“Okay, then, love. Bye! See you in a bit.”

“Bye,” she answers before she leaves, adding in a quick _‘Bye, Harry,_ ’ over her shoulder after she steps over his clothes from last night.

If that weren’t enough to give them away, Harry’s cackling sure does the trick as he pushes the duvet away to wish her a good morning. Louis flops back with a groan at how big of a disaster that just was, forced to laugh at himself along with the idiot next to him who kisses him until he can’t pout anymore and his stomach starts rumbling too.


	4. Chapter 4

Life with Harry becomes so normal so soon that sometimes it’s hard for Louis to remember the way things used to be without him. Before they started cooking together as many nights out of the week as possible or before Louis started finding random t-shirts and hoodies around his bedroom that don’t belong to him, but he steals anyway for days and nights that Harry isn’t around. He’s still on tour at the moment, working harder than Louis ever knew another person could work, but he comes right back to them after every show, choosing their small flat for two over his own lavish home every time. 

The funny thing is, nothing about the two of them makes sense when put together. Not Harry’s music career and Louis’ job as a personal assistant to Satan herself, or Harry’s glamorous life as a celebrity and, Louis, who oftentimes feels like he’s stumbling through adulthood as a father no matter how great of a job everyone says he’s doing. Why Harry loves being a part of his and Olivia’s day-to-day lives or how he has the power to make Louis smile from ear to ear even on horrific days is beyond him, but he does. And, somehow, they just fit. Better than anyone Louis has ever felt this way about.

It’s just a typical Friday night when Louis stops highlighting lines in Olivia’s t.v. script for her new weekends-only project to narrow his gaze at her and Harry using the living room as their personal salon to paint each other’s nails.

“I’m watching you both and I so saw that,” Louis warns as Harry uses his massive thumb to discreetly wipe away a dab of Shimmering Plum from the coffee table.

“Saw what?” Harry frowns in offense. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Louis gives his boyfriend the flattest face he can manage before fondly rolling his eyes.

“Which color do you want for your toes?” Olivia asks once she deems the paint job that Harry did on her fingers and toes dry enough so that she can move again. Harry gives the huge table full of options a few moments’ thought before choosing _all_ the colors for rainbow nails. Louis snorts a laugh when Olivia rolls her eyes because apparently, he picked that last time.

“You sure like rainbows a lot,” she comments, selecting a bottle of polish for each of Harry’s toes while he just grins.

“They’re beautiful. What’s not to like?” he says forcing his toes to stop wiggling so Olivia can begin painting them.

“You even had them at your show. Everybody had flags.”

“Well, they represent something that’s very important to me and a lot of other people. That we’re all free to love and fall in love with whomever we choose.”

“Like you and Daddy?” she asks, making Louis’ stomach flutter as he peeks over at Harry grinning at him.

“Yeah, Liv. People who love each other just like me and your dad.”

At first, it’s hard for Louis to understand why his world feels as though it’s spinning off its axis when it’s obvious that he and Harry have been falling for each other all along. Perhaps it’s because this is the first time either of them has said it out loud.

\--------- 

“Liv? Are you ready to go?” Harry calls grabbing his keys off the wall hook.

She was ready just a minute ago before she suddenly remembered her lunchbox in the kitchen and doubled back for it. Harry heads that way too and pokes his head around the threshold, chest warming over when he finds her with her lunchbox now in hand. She takes off as soon as she has it, but not before her father can catch her and wrangle her in for yet another tight embrace.

“You know how much I love you, right?” he asks not letting her budge one bit as he presses a kiss to her temple.

“ _Yes_ , I know,” she giggles, ruffling his hair so that it’s just as messy as he’s just made hers.

“And Harry loves you,” he says matter-of-factly, giving him a private wink. “And so does Liam who’s coming to your birthday dinner too so you know what _that_ means,” Louis wiggles his eyebrows.

“ _More gifts_ ,” Olivia answers with a smile like there aren’t half a dozen already wrapped up in the living room from people like Lou and Niall.

“Alright, you,” Louis sighs when Harry kindly nods at the clock hanging on the wall. “Get going. Go be nine. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

She fondly rolls her eyes at her father who has been asking which university she’s enrolled in all week. “Bye, Daddy. I love you.”

“Love you back,” Louis says giving her one more big squeeze before letting her skip out of the kitchen. “And Happy Birthday!” he calls after her.

Technically, Harry knows he should follow Olivia so they can get going, and he _has_ already kissed Louis goodbye once or twice this morning, but he can’t resist stepping further into the kitchen to do it all over again, heart thudding and lips tingling when Louis grins against them.

“I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay. Hurry back,” Louis whispers before sneaking another kiss. “After all, someone has to help me with all these bloody cupcakes.”

Harry briefly pulls away, glancing around the kitchen that already looks like a twister went through it just from breakfast this morning. Slowly but surely, Louis’ culinary skills are improving. Of course, it helps that he finally quit working for his crazy old boss and now has a nicer, much more reasonable one who is nowhere near as demanding so that he actually has time for things like breakfast and baking and giving his daughter the best birthday possible simply by taking the day off.

“Oh, god. _You’re_ doing the cupcakes?” Harry teases. “In that case, I better run back.” His words end in a yelp when he’s pinched on the bum with a fond ‘ _fuck off’_ followed by an even fonder and softer ‘ _Love you_.’

*

The fifteen-minute walk to Olivia’s school can be brutal first thing in the morning, especially if Harry is fresh off a performance the night before or just has an awful case of jetlag, however, thanks to his much-needed tour break, he hasn’t had to worry about any of that for these past couple of weeks he has been home. Harry feels good and rested, and lately, he’s been enjoying the simple pleasures in life such as waking up next to Louis each morning and then helping him not burn down the flat as he attempts waffles. He’s even been practicing his mermaid braids, and according to Olivia, he’s _almost_ as good as her dad. But even if her hair isn’t perfect she still thanks him with a bear hug and asks him to walk her to school more days out of the week than not.

Walking hand-in-hand with Olivia happily singing and talking alongside him will always make him smile just like all the people they pass by who don’t recognize him and assume he and Olivia are just like every other father/daughter pair making the morning school trek. They’re not of course, but sometimes it feels like they’re a real family. With the three of them pictured on his lock screen for when he’s away and missing them, and with how much he loves them both, it’s difficult not to think of them as family or imagine making it official one day.

“Oh, come on, Harry. Can’t you give me just one _tiny_ _little_ hint? _Please_?” Olivia asks once they arrive at the steps leading to the double doors of her school.

Harry bites down on a grin under the pressure, but he doesn’t crack even with her big brown eyes practically begging him to do so.

“Nope! Can’t help you. I have no secret intel on birthday gifts to report.”

Which isn’t necessarily a lie since Louis has yet to go shopping because he still can’t decide what to get her.

“You do know. You just won’t say,” Olivia mumbles making him laugh and draw the attention of the other kids and parents standing outside the school. “Can you at least tell me if it’s what I _think_ it is. You know, that _thing_ you promised to talk to my dad about?” She means the dog Harry has been trying to casually drop into conversations for the past month to no avail.

“Er- I might have mentioned it once or twice…”

She gasps aloud at that, taking both of Harry’s hands in hers as she bounces up and down. “You did?! _And_?! What did he say?”

 _And_ Louis has yet to take the bait. Harry even tried during the end stages of a blow job once and nothing.

“And… I still have no info to give so I guess you’ll just have to find out this afternoon when we pick you up! Kay, bye! Have a great day!” he beams when her face goes flat the same way her father’s does whenever he makes puns. Or brings up the joys of pet adoption during sex.

“ _Fiiine_ ,” she groans in defeat, turning to walk into the school. “Bye.” She mumbles the farewell under her breath, though she can’t help but cackle when Harry forces her into a crushing hug.

“Still friends?” he teases after she wiggles out of his hold.

“I guess so,” she sighs with a stubborn grin tugging at her lips just as the bell rings. “Bye, Harry! Love you!” she yells out as she takes the steps two at a time, which isn’t exactly a new thing between them, but it still warms Harry’s heart just like it did the first time she ever said it.

“Love you too! Have a good day,” Harry says back, waving her goodbye as she pushes through the double doors.

*

“Babe, I’m back!” Harry calls when he returns, toeing off his boots and hanging his keys back on the wall next to Louis’. His brow furrows when he receives no answer, wondering why his nose isn’t picking up the sugary scent of freshly baked cake wafting in from the kitchen. Or, in the most likely scenario involving his boyfriend and kitchen appliances, the unfortunate stench of burnt batter.

“Lou? Is everything alright?” At least, things were fine when Harry left Louis here half an hour ago with all the tools and ingredients required to make the cupcakes at his disposal. They had agreed to get all the baking done right away so they’d have all afternoon to dedicate to birthday shopping, but perhaps Harry missed something.

He moves to take a few steps toward the silent kitchen to make sure his boyfriend is still alive and hasn’t whisked himself to death and then freezes right where he is at the sight of him standing across the living room, leaned against the threshold, and wearing nothing but a wicked grin.

There was a whole list of things Harry had planned to do this morning ranging from finally tying a bow around the guitar he’s been hiding from Olivia all week to sweet-talking Louis into believing early-morning dog walks aren’t quite so bad. However, none of those things matter in this moment. Not with the sunlight highlighting Louis’ muscled chest and the first-hand view of his thighs gently brushing when he turns to walk to the bedroom.

Harry strips right where he is without argument when Louis gestures for him to follow. Homemade cupcakes can wait, and if time starts to dwindle, they’ll buy a dozen and fucking pretend.

*

There’s no way of knowing how much of the morning they’ve completely wasted, but it’s hard to see it that way when Harry feels this happy and content with Louis combing his fingers through his sweat-damp hair where he’s still lying half on top of him, too lazy to move.

“I can’t believe she’s _nine_. That’s so crazy to think about,” Louis says after a long while of them just breathing with one another and Harry listening to Louis' heartbeat.

Harry can only imagine Louis’ astonishment at how fast his daughter seems to be growing up when Olivia has only been a part of Harry’s life for a few months and it’s hard to believe even for him. “She’s getting a little older, but she’s still your little girl, babe. That’ll never change.” He presses a kiss to the back of Louis’ hand as he lets out a reminiscent sigh.

“Yeah, I know. And I _still_ have no idea what to get her,” he laments making Harry’s ears perk up at the admission. Indecision is good. It’s fantastic really because indecision means a mind open to ideas; one of those ideas preferably being a slobbering, barking ball of joy.

“Oh? Still?” Harry asks raising up a bit to watch Louis’ facial expressions. “So, no laptop, then?”

“Well, that’s the thing I don’t know yet. I still can’t decide if getting her a laptop of her own would be a good idea or not,” he confesses. “I mean, mine _is_ a few years old now and I know we can’t share it forever. She’ll start needing one for school more and more the older she gets, and mine has all my work stuff saved on it.” All of which are true statements which is why Harry’s not against Olivia getting a computer for her birthday, especially if it’s for school. She’d love it, but even with all the other amazing gifts she’ll receive today, none of them will be that one thing she truly wants.

“Well, she’s just such a highly responsible kid, you know?” Harry chimes in when he feels this could be his last window of opportunity. “Just- The sheer level of maturity there is unreal. And _honesty_ ,” he adds. “ _Trustworthiness_ , and she’s just capable of _so_ much, you know? I mean, think about how well she balances school and acting, and now she’s even taking an interest in _music_? I don’t know about other nine-year-olds, but I just think that a kid like that with those kinds of qualities could handle, say, anything.”

“Wow. Anything, huh?” Louis smirks.

“Yeah. Like, having a laptop for example. Or, you know…a puppy.”

Harry can feel his most charming smile start to turn deranged when Louis suddenly bursts out laughing at his persuasion attempt. “She got to you on the way to school this morning, didn’t she?” he snorts.

“ _What_? No,” Harry scoffs. “Maybe. Okay, she did, but, Lou, she looked so cute and excited just hoping she _might_ get a dog. Come on, love. She’s counting on me,” he pouts. “Say yes? Come on.”

He’s full on begging at this point, but so be it. Especially if it works which it seems to be judging by the little smile slowly stretching across Louis’ face.

“Don’t think I haven’t known what you two have been up to all this time. She’s left the adoption center’s website up on my computer for the past month,” he chuckles, giving Harry’s left dimple a fond poke with his index finger.

Harry doesn’t deny his and Olivia’s efforts at coordination and teamwork, letting the puppy idea settle in with Louis a few seconds more.

“…So?” Harry needles him. “Are you picturing that grand image of responsibility I painted before?”

“Mmm, more like, I’m picturing it being six a.m. and there’s a giant pile of dog shit on my floor.”

“Er- So, small accidents like that _could_ happen..."

 _"_ They _will."_

"Probably, _but_ your very mature and very responsible daughter will take care of them asap,” Harry says brightly, quickly revising his statement after Louis gives him a doubtful look because they both know all Olivia will be doing that early in the morning is sleeping. “Okay. Or, _I_ will take care of them asap.”

Since he’s helping Olivia get this dog he can at least help her take care of it.

“Come on. What do you say? Laptop or cute and adorable puppy?”

“Laptop,” Louis answers definitively. “… _And_ cute and adorable puppy,” he grins. “We have an appointment at three. I made it last week.”

“Wait. _What_?” Harry frowns just as he was about to cheer in victory. “You mean, you already decided on the dog? Why didn’t you say anything before I did all that begging?” he demands, watching Louis cackle as he admits to hoping for more blow job bribes.

*

They wait for it all day, and Olivia’s reaction to her new laptop and guitar is more than worth it. Seeing her that excited is enough to fuel Harry’s smile for the next century, but then Louis reveals that they had to go someplace top-secret to ‘ _adopt’_ her last gift and she squeals so loud that now the entire country probably knows she’s getting a dog.

The adoption center is expecting them just like Louis said they would be and is the same one that Harry’s team used for his music video. All the puppies they borrowed for filming have already found homes. Harry remembers a few of them finding homes that day with members of his team. The chubby little Lab that Olivia fell in love with hadn’t been quite so lucky, but his luck must be changing for the better because he’s still here, a few months older but still adorably fat, and still the only dog Olivia has eyes for as she declares that Kiwi is going home with them.

“What?” Harry laughs when he catches Louis silently sighing at the lump of puppy Olivia just placed at his feet to go pick out a dog bed and a collar.

“He’s going to eat us out of the house,” he mutters under his breath making Harry fight to hold in his laughter.

“He will not. He’s just a baby.”

“Yeah, _now_ ,” Louis quips. “What about a year from now? _Six months_ from now? Just imagine the massive shits this thing is gonna leave on our floor when it’s grown,” he complains giving Olivia a bright supportive smile when she holds up a sparkly green collar she likes from across the room.

 _Our_ floor. Harry can’t pretend that he doesn’t grin to himself about that one for a disgusting amount of time before easing his boyfriend’s apprehensions.

“Aww, but, babe, he’s so cute. Look at his little face,” Harry coos down at him.

There’s no denying that Kiwi is destined to grow into a horse, but there’s also no denying the fact that Louis’ stony exterior starts to melt the moment their new puppy yawns from all the excitement and leans his head against Louis calf. “Come on. You _like_ him. You know he’s cute,” Harry teases, watching Louis roll his eyes and fail to conceal his fondness.

“I mean… I don’t _hate_ him,” he says, bending down after a few seconds to pick him up. Kiwi gently licks his chin in appreciation and then slumps against his chest with a tired huff looking perfectly content in Louis arms. It’s possibly the sweetest thing Harry has ever seen. “I mean, guess he’s alright,” Louis admits holding the dog a little tighter.

He’s more than just ‘ _alright’_ Harry figures since Louis has yet to put him down.

That night, Kiwi is still sleepy, but he’s resting in another pair of arms. Olivia slides down beneath her duvet with Kiwi held tight against her as Harry tucks them in for the night.

“Didn’t your dad say Kiwi’s supposed to sleep in his own bed?” Harry says even though he knows there’s no chance in hell of that happening. At least not tonight anyway.

“He’s in a new place. I don’t want him to get scared or cold,” she explains making Harry laugh because there’s no chance of either of them freezing to death with how tight she’s holding him.

“You’re absolutely right. Kiwi should sleep with you until he feels more at home.” Or until forever if Olivia has any say in the matter. “Goodnight. I’ll see you both in the morning,” Harry promises before pressing a kiss to her temple. He stands up to leave and almost makes it to the door before Olivia’s voice stops him.

“Harry?”

“Yeah, love?” He takes a couple of steps back the way he came, feeling his stomach swoop as if he missed the floor entirely when she speaks up again.

“Are you and my dad going to get married one day?”

The thought of marrying Louis isn’t a new one. Harry has known that he could spend the rest of his life with Louis from the very beginning. Hearing such a serious question like that from Olivia of all people does make him consider the notion a bit differently.

“Um, I don’t know, Liv. Maybe,” he finally answers, reclaiming his seat at the edge of her bed. “Why? What made you think about something like that?”

“Nothing.” She says it looking slightly guilty so Harry knows that’s not the whole truth. “…I heard my dad and Liam talking tonight,” she admits.

“Oh, yeah?” Harry swallows hard, feeling nerves start to settle into his stomach. “What about?”

“Liam was teasing him and said he should wear a ring because you both act like you’re married anyway, and Daddy just smiled. He said he wouldn’t say no.”

“Er- _Wow_ , Liv. That’s-” The greatest and best thing Harry has ever heard _ever_. “That’s good to know.” It’s a little premature considering they’ haven’t even been together six months, but he doesn’t see his feelings for Louis changing anytime soon. If anything, they just get stronger by the day. “Um, and how would you feel about that? About us maybe getting married one day?”

Olivia runs her hand down Kiwi’s fur to avoid his gaze. “Would it mean you’d be my dad too?”

Harry doesn’t mean to smile like an idiot, but he can’t help it. The thought of possibly being Louis’ husband is already amazing. Getting to be a real father to Olivia too is almost too much to consider.

“I think it might,” he says, pressing a new kiss to her temple when she just smiles in response.

When Harry leaves her, he feels like he’s floating into the next room rather than walking there. He doesn’t tell Louis that Olivia was eavesdropping on him and Liam tonight or that Kiwi is currently tucked in bed with her and will continue to be for the rest of eternity. Harry just kisses him, linking their fingers together between them, taking comfort in the confidence that when the day comes for him to slip a ring onto Louis’ fourth one, he won’t say no.

\----------

 

**Three Years Later**

“Haz! Will you come here?” Louis shouts when he gets home from the grocery store, kicking the garage door shut behind him. Louis goes completely still, straining his ears to catch the very faint strumming of an acoustic guitar through the ceiling above.

No matter how loud Louis shouts, Harry can’t hear anything happening down here and vice versa. His studio was sound-proofed for that very purpose which comes quite in handy for them a lot of the times, but for right now is just not ideal.

Louis takes off out of the kitchen with his small shopping bag grasped tightly in his hands, the contents of which took him about twenty minutes to obtain, also earning him more than a few odd looks from the teenage boy behind the register who processed his admittedly bizarre request.

Kiwi pops his head up from the sofa he’s not supposed to be sleeping on when Louis walks by and gives him a scratch behind the ears. Louis doesn’t chastise him today, though it’s not like it would really help or change things even if he did. The dog thinks he owns the bloody house, and he basically does thanks to Louis’ daughter and his soft-hearted husband who always feels bad telling him no.

He hears four clumsy feet padding up the stairs behind him as he keeps moving. The sound pauses briefly as they come to the first bedroom on the left side of the corridor outfitted in various shades of violet, butterflies, and random splashes of glitter everywhere.

“She’s not here, Ki. She’s with Liam,” Louis reminds their dog who never seems to grasp the concept of his favorite person in the world doing something _other_ than spoiling him rotten with treats and all the belly rubs he could want. “Oh, come on, you. She’ll be back tonight,” Louis says, encouraging Kiwi to continue trailing after him rather than gazing longingly into an empty bedroom, but he doesn’t budge. “Fine. Be that way,” Louis rolls his eyes, compelled by Kiwi’s big round eyes to hug him and kiss him on top of his giant head because he’s so fucking cute sometimes that Louis can’t stand it.  

The dog has ditched him, but that doesn’t deter Louis from his mission. The sound of muffled music grows louder as he comes to the room at the end of the corridor. This one is anything but empty with Harry’s deep voice singing along to the melody he’s been working on all week. Louis makes three soft taps against the door when the sound stops momentarily, probably for Harry to scribble down some sort of correction about the lyrics or arrangement that Louis already finds perfect. Every song he’s written for this new album sounds incredible.

“Babe? I’m coming in,” he warns since the recording sign isn’t on and there’s no chance of Louis fucking something up.

When he pushes open the studio door, his husband is right where Louis assumed he’d be, surrounded by all his equipment with his favorite guitar in hand. He’s wearing the same joggers and dark-green hoodie he threw on this morning, making his eyes twinkle like emeralds when he grins, abandons his guitar, and gestures for Louis to come right over to him.

He is gently pulled onto Harry’s lap and welcomed with a kiss the moment he’s close enough. When they separate, Harry lets out a tired sigh, probably from being locked up in this studio for so long.

“Was the amazing song I just heard the one you wrote about me?”

“They’re _all_ about you, so, yes,” Harry fondly rolls his eyes at him, pressing another kiss to his lips. And, yeah. Louis and all of Harry's fans are well aware. He just likes hearing it confirmed. “Did you just get back?” he mumbles against Louis’ shoulder, his arms encircling Louis’ waist like he’s some kind of pillow.

“Yeah. Just a few minutes ago. That’s actually why I came to bother you,” Louis tells him with his best smile in place that always gets him what he wants. “Would you mind going down to the car to unload all the groceries?”

It’s a weird request and Harry’s brow briefly furrows because of it. He doesn’t say anything though or call Louis out on the fact that he probably could’ve unloaded the car in the time it took him to walk up here and make him do it. But, because his husband is wonderful and the kindest person on Earth he quickly agrees, frowning at the little bag in Louis’ hand he hadn’t noticed before.

“What’s this?” he asks snorting when Louis snatches the bag behind his back.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Mmm…. saying it’s nothing kind of makes me think it could be something,” Harry chuckles.

“All in due time, my love,” Louis smirks, earning himself another eye roll and a pinch to the bum for sounding like a fortune cookie.

Harry leaves him to go downstairs like he was asked, and Louis immediately darts across the corridor to their bedroom when his steps start to fade down the stairs. He has to move fast for this to work, yanking the shirt he’s currently wearing over his head and replacing it with the shirt he just had designed at the graphics shop along with a coat to keep the message hidden. And, he knows it’s the probably the dumbest, lamest, cheesiest shirt in existence, but Louis has never been more excited to wear anything in his life.

By now, his husband probably realizes that Louis is even more full of shit than he thought and didn’t _actually_ go grocery shopping like he said. He’s probably just opened the car to find the small paper bag Louis placed in the backseat for him. By now, he’s probably wondering why out of all the things in the world, all Louis bought today was more kiwi fruit when he’s been finding random ones strategically planted around the house all week but never made the connection. And, at this very moment Louis takes a deep breath to stop his stomach from fluttering like mad at the sound of Harry coming back up the stairs to find out what the hell is going on.

“Lou?” Harry pokes his head into their bedroom with a perplexed expression which under normal circumstances would be hilarious, but right now Louis is about to crawl out of his skin just wanting him to _get it_. “Babe, we didn’t need more kiwis. I’ve put about half a dozen _back_ in the fridge just this week. Someone keeps leaving them out.”

Louis laughs to himself, shaking his head at his idiot husband who’s about to be the second happiest person in the world when he finally pieces it all together. Slowly, Louis pulls the winter coat open to reveal the t-shirt underneath, watching Harry’s eyes scan the words ‘ _I’m having your baby,_ ’ several times before Louis sheds the coat completely and stands to let him see the back of the shirt which reads _‘…it’s kind of your business_.’

He glances over his shoulder to find Harry with a hand pressed over a watery smile.

“A-Are you serious?” he asks, looking Louis over as if he’d ever lie or joke about something like this.

“I’m serious,” Louis nods, snorting a laugh when Harry keeps asking the same question, still frozen in disbelief as Louis walks over to hug him. “Baby, I’ve never been more serious,” Louis assures him, squeezing him tight. “You’re going to be a dad. _Again_ ,” he jokes, because even though he loves Olivia as his own, he did miss out on a lot of her big milestones simply because he and Louis hadn’t found each other yet. This time, he’ll be there for every late night, early morning, and wobbly step their baby takes.

He’s never seen his husband more thrilled than when he presses both palms to his stomach before kissing him harder than ever before. “Oh my God _._ _Oh my God_!” Harry beams, finally letting himself believe that this is happening. “Who else knows?!”

“No one- Well, Liam does, but I needed to tell him so he’d take Olivia. I figured we could tell her together later tonight?” She’s going to be ecstatic. The only thing she has ever wanted more than a dog or Harry as her father is a sibling.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he says, pressing his hands to Louis’ stomach again as if it looks any different than it did just this morning when Harry unknowingly pillowed his head right over their future son or daughter.

“Well, I tried telling you all bloody week,” Louis laughs, running his fingers through the back of his hair to give it a playful tug. He was going crazy being the only one who knew. He’s still feeling a bit crazy now, but he’s pretty sure that’s just the excitement finally kicking in.

“Babe, you put _kiwis_ in my _boots_ ,” Harry laughs. “How was I supposed to look at _that_ and get _baby_?” Probably the same way Louis wakes up, takes one look at Harry’s grumpy kitten face after a long night and thinks _coffee,_ or the way Olivia cuts her eyes over at him sometimes when she’s feeling all pre-teen moody and he decides _against_ flipping her upside down to tickle her.

“It’s your own song. _You_ wrote it.” He of all people should get its less-than-subtle innuendos.

“Yeah, it’s my song that doesn’t actually _mean_ anything,” his husband _finally_ admits after all this time. _He fucking knew it._

“You are such an idiot,” Louis chuckles against his lips the same as he has the past four years whenever Harry has been adorably clueless as fuck.

They’ve been some of the best years of his entire life, and this new journey they’re about to take is shaping up to be even better. True, he probably could’ve chosen a slightly less elaborate way to let Harry in on the secret too, but Louis wouldn’t change it. Not for anything.

“Well, yeah,” Harry shrugs easily. “But, I was smart enough to fall for _you_ though, wasn’t I?” he grins. And, yes. He was. “Best decision of my life.”

Louis couldn’t agree more if he’d said it himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People wanted more. I wanted more. So, here's more! :D

“My favorite part of filming Kiwi?” Harry had furrowed his brow in front of the interviewer. As if he didn’t already know. “There were lots of things I enjoyed. Obviously, it was a lot of fun to film and the team was amazing, but, I think personally my favorite parts were the amazing people I met,” he answered, making his interviewer sport a megawatt smile.

“You did meet some amazing and talented people. I think you brought one of them with you tonight, actually.”

Harry had followed the woman’s gaze a few yards down the red carpet of the video awards to the nine-year-old in a pink sparkly suit giving an interview of her own, and apparently, doing a splendid job of it since everyone near her looked completely charmed and endeared. Not that Harry was surprised in the least at Olivia holding her own. 

“I did bring someone very special with me tonight,” he chuckled. “The best date I’ve ever had.”

“And a bit more than just for red carpets and events,” the interviewer pushed. “It’s my understanding that you two see quite a lot of each other. Maybe that’s because you and her father have gotten quite close?”

Harry knew it was coming. The media had been dancing around flat-out asking about his new relationship for months. It was no secret that he’d gotten so much more out of filming his music video than exposure and acclaim. In some strange and amazing twist of fate, he’d gotten a family.

“We’re very happy,” Harry admitted with a megawatt smile of his own. “Um, we’re all hoping for an award tonight as well, but, we’ll see. Kiwi’s up against some great contenders,” he had added simply to change the subject so he didn’t look quite so lovesick with Louis watching and surely smirking from home.

That was the first time Harry realized just how much his life had changed since Louis and Olivia had burst into it. He had walked down loads of red carpets in his life and won countless awards, but none of them could ever touch the excitement he’d felt being there that night with his future daughter and the pride he felt as he dedicated his award to her and to his future husband who was surely sniffling from home now instead of smirking like a prick.

Six incredible years have flown by since then and yet that excitement and pride is as strong as ever. Possibly even stronger when Harry glances over at Olivia currently twisting her hands in her lap as their car rolls to a stop next to the red carpet that’s laid out for tonight’s BAFTAs.

“Love? We’re here,” Harry informs her, though he’s sure she knows that just based on the commotion outside. “Nervous?”

“No. Sort of,” she mumbles instead, changing her answer once more with a sigh. “Yeah, a little. It’s these damn shoes mostly. I don’t want to fall.” Harry chuckles when she looks over at him, her brown eyes lit up with a mischievous grin to rival her dad’s.

She looks breathtaking in a long silver gown that’s a far cry from the sparkly suit she begged to wear the first time she came to one of these events. Her hair is much shorter than it was back when her curls use to cascade down her back. At fifteen, it now falls just above her shoulders in thick waves to frame her face and her delicate jawline which she also inherited from Louis. Harry won’t lie and say the heels she’s wearing don’t look a bit intimidating, especially since she only recently started wearing heels at all, but he has no doubt that she’ll do just fine. She can do anything. The fact that the roles are reversed and Harry is here tonight as _her_ date is proof enough.

“You’re not going to fall.”

“ _We_ _hope_ ,” she mutters.

“You won’t. And you look beautiful. And you’re going to win tonight. And I’m going to be right here with you every step of the way,” Harry promises.

“To catch me even when my stiletto inevitably snaps,” she jokes before sliding over to wrap him in one of her great bear hugs that have warmed his heart and put a smile on his face since day one. “I couldn’t do this alone. Thank you for coming with me,” she whispers as if Harry would’ve said no.

“You were my first red carpet date. It’s only fair I return the favor.”

He had honestly expected for her to ask Louis when they found out she was nominated for best supporting actress. Since Kiwi, Olivia has done a few projects here and there so as not to interfere with school, but nothing on this sort of scale and nothing that would prompt her to risk twisting an ankle or two in hopes of receiving an award. He wouldn’t miss sharing this moment with her for the world.

Olivia is still clinging to him even with time ticking by and their escorts waiting to guide them through the media ring.

“We’ve got to go, love. People are waiting.”

“I know. Okay,” she nods though she has yet to move. “I love you, Dad. Harry. _Hairy_ Dad,” she says after she pulls away laughing the way she did the first time she called him dad by accident, tried to correct by using his name, and then just started blending the two together whenever she needed him because it made them both laugh. It was funny back then and now that she’s practically an adult it’s just hilarious. 

“Love you too,” he chuckles, resisting the nostalgic urge to revert back to the days he’d affectionately call her Olive Head.

 

Just as they all expected, Olivia takes home her very first prize. She is the picture of grace and poise when she gets up to accept it, she speaks with more eloquence that Harry ever has when accepting an award, and when she’s done, she blows a kiss to the camera and mouths ‘I love you’ to the amazing man that she just told everybody she wouldn’t be here tonight without his encouragement, love, and belief in her.

They don’t stay very long after Olivia is interviewed and photographed a million times. Many of the night’s attendees leave as well to carry on their night at various industry after-parties. Olivia isn’t quite old enough yet to join them in Harry’s opinion, but she doesn’t want to anyway. Not when Louis and her brothers are waiting up to congratulate her back home. She has no idea that he and Louis have been busy planning her own private after-party from the day she was nominated, win or lose, because they were going to celebrate this night, no matter what.

 

\-------------

Louis stops talking mid-conversation when he hears a car door shut from somewhere outside. “I think that’s them!” he says making Liam, Niall, and everyone else in the room collectively roll their eyes. Again.

“ _Sure_. Even though you’ve said that every five minutes for the past hour,” Liam snorts into his glass of champagne to make Niall laugh too. Louis cuts his eyes over at him, strategizing just how he should retaliate when his lovely sister-in-law gives Liam a nice shove in the arm to save Louis the trouble of putting the baby down to do it.

“Oh, everybody stop teasing him,” Gemma orders, coming over to affectionately squeeze Louis around the shoulders and kiss her youngest nephew who is doing quite well for someone up way past his bedtime. “Louis is just anxious for them to get here because he’s such a proud papa,” she grins.

And she’s right Louis thinks as he looks around at their home filled with people who love his daughter as much as they do. He has never been prouder of her or more excited to tell her so. Harry just has to get her here first.

The sound of heeled boots and stilettos clacking up to the front door has Louis’ heart thudding in his chest. “It _is_ them,” he hisses at his best friend, forcing him to make up for being a prick by handing him the baby. However, the way Liam coos as he welcomes little Finn into his arms makes Louis rethink his chosen form of revenge. He’s getting soft.

“They’re coming in! Get ready!” Louis says to the room as the handle of the door turns. Olivia’s eyes go wide at the sudden burst of ‘ _Congratulations!_ ’ and ‘ _Surprise!_ ’ shouted at her the moment she steps into the house, and then she’s smiling and laughing with her award held up high for everyone to see, her face glowing and happy like Louis knew it would be receiving such a homecoming.

Apparently, she had no idea any of this was happening which is fantastic news since he and Harry had to bribe their four-year-old for a month so he wouldn’t tell. Or, at least, Olivia _claims_ she didn’t know anyway. It wouldn’t surprise Louis in the least bit if Julian has been playing them for sweets this whole time, and Olivia could be in on it. She _is_ a great actress after all. She even has a fucking BAFTA now as indisputable evidence.

“You were amazing!” Louis gushes as soon as he’s close enough to hold her. “That speech was incredible, Liv. And you _look_ incredible,” he says loosening his grip when her laughter becomes airy from a probable lack of oxygen. “God, I’m so happy for you, love. And I’m so, so proud of you.”

He doesn’t even realize he’s tearing up until Olivia’s gaze softens and she goes back in for another tight embrace, allowing Louis to hold her as long as he wants.

“Aw, thank you, Dad,” she whispers. “I love you so much.”

Louis thought he’d already done all his crying as he watched his little girl walk across the stage (in stilettos no less) to be recognized for her talent, but a couple of warm tears still manage to make their way down his cheeks. He breathes her in until a familiar, deep voice chuckles right next to them.

“Alright, you two,” Harry says, gently stepping in so that Louis doesn’t hold their daughter forever. “There’s a whole houseful of people waiting their turn to congratulate the star. Caring is sharing,” he teases.  

He’s right. Olivia’s close friends from school have been anxiously awaiting her arrival as well as some of the people she works with on her show. Most of Louis and Harry’s friends are also here to share this night with them, and that’s not even including all the family members who showed up _or_ the bloody dog who has been dutifully waiting at the foot of Olivia’s bed for her return…and also, hiding from their darling, rambunctious son and his continued belief that Kiwi is in fact a pony. At this rate, she’ll be hugging and kissing people until she’s thirty.

“ _Fine_. Haz is right,” he says, though he doesn’t necessarily want his husband to be right. He’d much rather continue hugging his girl and pretending she’s still as little as his heart still thinks she is. “Go on and say hello to everyone else. I’ll come annoy you later. Make you pose for even more pictures.”

“Okay,” she laughs. “I can’t wait for that.” Nor can she wait to finally take off her heels since she steps out of them at the door and doesn’t even bother to pick them up (typical) just before Julian runs over to offer her a big four-year-old hug that quickly disintegrates into a tickle war that both Louis and Harry totally saw coming.

*

It’s hours later when Louis turns his sparkling cider glass up to his lips again, letting the bubbles tickle the back of his tongue on the way down. The photo wall he’s stood next to is playing tricks on him. All the memories of his bubbly little girl pictured there make his chest feel tight. Creating a longing and a nostalgia for her even though she’s right across the room. Olivia’s as tall as him now. Her round, pink cheeks and long honey curls are gone, leaving behind a beautiful and refined young woman in their place.

She’s not completely changed, though. She’s still quite bubbly as she laughs and jokes while surrounded by all her friends. Her cheeks even flush a familiar faint pink when Matthew, Olivia’s ‘ _just a friend_ , _Dad_ ’ she’s had for the past two years, bravely whispers something in her ear that makes her smile like mad, confirming that they’re both idiots who are completely stupid for one another and refuse to admit it.

Louis can feel the hands of his own idiot for whom he’s stupid for start at his shoulders and then slip down to his wrists, stopping just short of his glass to lock him in. Louis leans back into his embrace and feels his stomach flutter to life from the kiss he presses just behind his ear.

“Still crying?” he teases, making Louis fondly roll his eyes as they briefly pass over the first picture Olivia and Harry ever took, smiling and covered in cake frosting on the last day of the Kiwi shoot. Louis _has_ to roll his eyes and look away or else risk tearing up again, because the two people in that photo had no idea what was coming; what they made possible for all of them.

“Fuck off,” he tells his husband under his breath which only makes them both laugh. “It’s not like you’re one to talk. The camera panned to you during her speech and my eyes weren’t the only misty ones.”

They both watch her and her friends excitedly cook up a plan to take a walk to the ice cream shop that stays open late. She glances over at him and Harry with those big, hopeful brown eyes that neither of them can ever say no to and knows without either of them saying a word that she’s free to go.

She trades her heels for a pair of converses, but keeps her designer gown on reminding Louis of when she used to walk around their old flat wearing her custom Gucci jacket and unicorn socks. Her friends all file out the front door as Olivia grabs one of Louis’ jackets off the hook and her just a friend, Matthew helps slip it onto her bare shoulders.

“I think I like him,” Harry says once they’ve gone. “It’s bullshit that they’re just friends though.”

“Oh, _complete_ bullshit,” Louis snorts in agreement. “But, they’re cute being in denial.” Louis likes Matthew. And, most importantly, _Liv_ likes Matthew, which is all that really matters.

“ _I_ was never in denial like that,” his husband says. “I knew we were a done deal from the word go.”

“Is _that_ so?” Louis smirks. He more remembers it as Harry being a nervous mess trying to talk to him and then being so desperate that he needed an eight-year-old girl to bail him out. But, sure. They’ll go with Harry’s version.

“Mmhmm,” he purrs in Louis’ ear making him more apt to believe that Harry did know how to play it back then because he sure as hell does now. “Because, I always know _exactly_ what I want.” Just the sure tone of his voice and the way he’s still holding Louis from behind has his blood pumping a bit faster.

“I’m listening.”

“Well, I’m not saying it _means_ anything,” Harry whispers, “But, the star has officially fled her own party.”

“That is true,” Louis grins. “Go on.”

“And, _Finn_ , our beautiful baby boy is sleeping peacefully in the nursery.” Thanks to the wonderful and dynamic Liam Payne. Louis will have to remember to thank that lovely man. “...Julian has been out cold for the past half-hour as well.”

Louis hadn’t even noticed he finally crashed. The last he saw of their eldest son, he was fake sword fighting with Gemma and Niall using crayons. Now, he’s currently curled up in Niall’s arms, his dark curly hair unruly and all over the place just like Harry’s first thing in the morning.

“So, he is,” Louis notes as Harry’s grip tightens around him, the both of them planning to leave their son right where he is since Niall looks so comfortable being a human pillow as he chats and sips on his beer. “You were saying?”

“That the kids don’t need us at the moment, our guests are currently entertaining themselves, and there’s not a soul upstairs to interrupt us.” And, so, there isn’t. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, babe?”

Louis is already a step ahead of his husband, both literally and figuratively as he downs the rest of his drink and pulls him along.

 

\----------- 

Their giggled trip upstairs is one they’ve taken a thousand times before, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. Harry has no idea where Louis is taking them when they bypass their bedroom and several good-sized closets that would surely fit their needs, but apparently his husband is thinking much bigger than some hushed quickie that Harry had in mind, bringing them to a stop outside of Harry’s studio which often comes in handy for muting way more than just music.

Louis’ mouth is on his the moment the thick door shuts behind them, spluttering a laugh when he stumbles in his haste and gets more of Harry’s chin against his lips than anything else.

“How drunk are you exactly?” Harry rights him, snorting at the random taste of apples on his tongue when Louis kisses him again and gets his aim just right.  He didn’t know they even had apple champagne, but it must’ve been pretty damn good for Louis not to share.

“M’not drunk,” he mumbles, and Harry believes him when he’s suddenly pulled away from the door and forced into the chair near his writing desk. They swivel a bit as Louis settles down over his lap and begins popping the buttons of his shirt loose. “I watched your interview on the carpet. God, I love it when you wear black,” he says, sliding the dark fabric off his shoulders to bite a mark into his skin.

Harry is usually bathed in bold colors and prints especially for an event, but this evening wasn’t about him. Tonight, he just wanted to blend in so Olivia could shine. Wearing a simple Tom Ford was supposed to achieve that but clearly all it has done is make Louis want to rip it off him.

“You think I looked alright, then?” Harry smirks, smoothing his palms down the tight fabric of Louis’ outfit which is even more exceptional in his opinion simply because it’s his husband’s body that has been poured into it.

“More than,” he pants into his mouth. “So fucking sexy I could hardly stand it.”

Like he’s one to talk. Louis’ curves are like a fucking dream which is why nearly every song Harry writes these days contains at least one line about what they do to him. Once, he wrote a whole journal full, but it was so obscene he couldn’t let anyone besides Louis read it.  

“Take these off,” he tugs at Louis’ bottoms, desperate to see and feel his bare thighs straddled over his lap. “I want you on the sofa.”

Louis does as he’s told, yanking his shirt over his head and then standing up to strip everything from the waist down. The moonlight hits him and Harry’s veins feel as if they’re aflame just from looking at him. As if that weren’t already too much, Louis tries to send him into cardiac arrest after he grabs their secret lube stashed in one of the drawers by kneeling down and stretching his muscled body out along the rug that Harry’s going to have a hard time looking at and seeing anything besides this image for the remainder of all time.

He fingers himself open right there in front of Harry and he’s in awe. Their oldest child is practically an adult. Their youngest is barely over a year old and Louis’ body looks as though not a day has passed since Harry first saw it this bare.

“Do you think anyone has noticed we’re gone?” Louis chokes out, breath catching on every word as he writhes against the floor.

“What?” Harry dumbly asks several beats too late, too focused on Louis’ hips chasing his own fingers for his brain to register anything else. Honestly, Harry doesn’t give two fucks about what’s happening outside of this studio.

“Come down here. Come feel me,” Louis smirks once his back begins arching off the floor with each shudder he sends shooting through his own body.

Harry slides down from his chair without being told twice, his grip squeezed tight around himself as he inches closer. He could slip inside of Louis right now. It’d be so easy with how slick he’s made himself, but he doesn’t want to interrupt the magic of what his husband is doing. He doesn’t have to when Louis stops all on his own, sitting up to pull Harry down in his place.

“You- You’re sure you don’t want to be on the sofa?” Harry checks, his eyes quickly glancing at the neglected piece of furniture he had every intention of fucking Louis over.

“Yep. I want you right here,” Louis says as he positions himself over Harry’s hips with his dick held steady in his fist between them. He sinks down onto it and Harry’s eyes roll back at the sudden heat and pressure overwhelming his system. “Don’t,” Louis chokes out when Harry bites down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning about how good he feels. “That’s why we’re in here. I want to hear you.”

A single roll of Louis’ hips gives him exactly what he asked for, Harry’s voice sounding foreign to his own ears when it rips out of him. “ _Fuck_ ,” he whimpers, his hips lifting to chase the feeling of him even though he hasn’t moved.

“Good?” The breath from the word lands against Harry’s parted lips as Louis begins riding him so hard that their skin slaps together.

“ _Amazing_ ,” Harry moans after several attempts to form the word. “ _You’re_ amazing,” he babbles. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

“I love you too. More than anything.” Harry can feel his thighs shaking from his quick pace, but Louis doesn’t stop, his voice still sending waves of heat rippling down his spine. “I love _us_. The family we’ve made. Our whole lives together,” he whines, his words breaking when he slams down hard enough to find his spot. “I just love you.”

Harry holds onto his gaze as he flips them, hanging onto his husband telling him that over and over again as he rocks his hips into him, the carpet fibers of the rug cutting into his knees.

“I’m so close,” Harry apologizes, because they both knew this would be fast when they tiptoed up the stairs, but now that they’re here Harry doesn’t want the moment to pass. He thinks that every time they’re together, never wanting the feeling of his heart expanding in his chest to end.

“Me too, baby,” Louis says, tangling his fingers into the back of Harry’s hair. “Come on. Come with me. I need you to. Please.”

Harry wouldn’t be able to hold off with Louis whispering that way even if he tried. He starts coming without even meaning to, spilling inside of Louis as he jerks beneath him with his own orgasm.

“Fuck,” Louis moans as his legs go slack around him, his chest rising and falling to catch his breath. Harry pulls out of him once the pressure is too much, and doesn’t move from between his legs before crashing. “That was- _Fuck,”_ he says aloud again, laughing as his fingers settle into Harry’s hair to comb through as they come down. _Fuck,_ is right. Harry’s hands are still a little shaky and he’s now lying completely still. “That was _so good_.”

“Made even better by zero risk of kids interrupting.” Which is a freedom they don’t get to enjoy that often with their three little angels.

“Very true,” Louis chuckles in agreement. “This was nice.” And there’s no reason they shouldn’t keep the fun rolling.

“There’s an extra bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge right now with our names all over it,” Harry grins against him. “I think we should take full advantage of our free babysitters while they’re all still here and too intoxicated to leave.”

This is Olivia’s special evening so she wasn’t given a curfew of when to be back. Niall is likely to just stay over tonight and Julian is likely to be his little shadow as always until he leaves tomorrow. Finn almost always sleeps through the night now so he won’t need anything from him or Louis until morning. It’s like a mini-holiday, except they haven’t actually gone anywhere, and unfortunately, they have to get their own booze.

“Okay, love,” Louis smiles at his plan. “We can go smuggle the champagne, but, I’m just going to have more sparkling cider, if that’s alright? I don’t think I should be drinking.”

Harry frowns at that, wondering why the hell he’s drinking _cider_ on an amazing night like this.

“What?” he laughs, sitting up to meet his gaze. “Why on Earth wouldn’t you drink? We’re celebra-” Harry can barely even finish his sentence when the tiny, knowing grin on Louis’ lips suddenly makes a lot of sense. “Are you serious?” he gasps, suddenly sitting up to closer examine him. “Oh my god, are you really? Like, _really_ , really?”

“Possibly? I don’t really know for sure yet,” he says with a tiny frown. “I mean, I _thought_ I was just anxious and nervous for Liv these past couple of weeks and that I was emotional because I was just so proud of her. And, _I am_ ,” he clarifies. “But, I also realized that I’ve sort of felt this way before, you know?” he explains with a sigh. “Three times before, to be exact.”

Now Harry’s thinking about it, Louis has been a bit weepy, sleepy, queasy, and, well, horny as of late, but Harry didn’t pick up on any of it with so much going on.

“Surprise, we’re never sleeping or having uninterrupted sex again?” Louis says with a sheepish yet happy shrug when all Harry can do is stare at him with a big, dumb smile taking over his face.

“ _Oh my God_.”

“You said that already.”

“I know,” Harry cackles. “I’m just- _Oh my God_.”

“You’re in shock,” Louis decides. “And, I get that, but you did say just last month that you wouldn’t mind having one more,” Louis warns as if Harry doesn’t remember wanting another child with him.

“I’m not shocked,” Harry rushes to assure him. “I’m not, I swear. I’m just _confused_. I mean, I just found out I might be a dad again and not a _single_ kiwi was used?! Like, are you even pregnant if you _didn’t_ batter me with fruit?”

“Okay, fuck off, because that was _one_ time,” Louis says. “Fine. _Two_ times,” he concedes, the both of them laughing at the memory of Harry’s face when two dozen kiwis fell out of the fridge one morning to announce the impending arrival of Finn.

“I can’t believe we’re having another baby,” Harry beams before connecting their lips. Maybe not for certain yet, but eventually. They already have three beautiful kids as it is and Harry knows he is blessed beyond measure, but he can’t help longing for just one more. Hopefully, even another little girl if they can get any luckier.

“ _Four_ _kids_ ,” Louis says with an incredulous laugh at the ceiling. “This place is going to be a fucking madhouse.” It is. And Harry can’t wait. “You still want to get drunk?” he jokes. “Because I’ll totally watch and cheer you on. At least one of us should be getting smashed.”

Harry shakes his head, lying next to Louis to cuddle him close because If he can’t drink right now then Harry won’t either. “Thanks, but I’m okay without the champagne. Right here with you is perfect.”

“Why?” Louis smirks. “Because you love me just that much?”

“Mostly because being naked is easier than putting on clothes,” Harry says to make them both snort. “And, yes. The other thing too,” he whispers. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much if you came back for this timestamp! And also, thanks to the people who asked for it because it was incredibly fun to do :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I enjoyed writing it so much that I had to add a timestamp, so there's now a part two! Also, thanks so much to the wonderful FallingLikeThis for being simply wonderful <3 
> 
>  


End file.
